The Silver Heart
by irish33cm
Summary: What if Beast met another girl, one that he met whent he was able to become human for a certain amount of time.  They care for each other. But when Beast's time runs out, trouble occurs and then Beast and the girl meet once more.  This time,he's a monster
1. The Curse

119 Page

**By: Bob**

**Chapter One**

**The Curse**

**Once upon a time many years ago, a young prince was cursed by a witch of immense beauty. She cast a spell the spell on the prince because of his unkindness and hatred. The witch came to him looking as a poor sickly woman asking for food and shelter, but the prince, because of her appearance, sent her away into the snowy storm. She changed into her true form, a beautiful enchantress. The prince begged for forgiveness, but the deed was done. The spell was cast to the prince,**

**"I cast this spell upon thee until thy wicked heart shows love and compassion to a woman. The woman must also share the feelings to you. You shall be shown by the beast you are by night and man by day. But also be warned, a rose will be given to you, the spell will grow shorter as the petals fall. Soon the spell will keep as a monster night and day."**

**The spell was cast and the prince lives as the spell goes. If the beast cannot find love by the last petal fallen, then the prince will remain a beast, forever.**


	2. Trouble and Love

115 Page

**Chapter Two**

**Trouble and Love**

**(Rose's POV)**

"**Rose…ROSE!" I turned around only to see Elaine, a young village woman, come running up to me calling my name.**

"**What is it Elaine? Is something wrong?" I asked in a worried tone. She merely shook her head,**

"**Oh I'm fine, but Gaston wants to talk to you right away."**

**I sighed, Gaston was the town hunk. Of course the entire village girls drooled over him. He wants to marry me though, and the only problem is that I just don't love him. I wanted to find someone who loves a lady besides her looks.**

"**Elaine, I've already told you, I don't want to talk to him." But Elaine wasn't faltered. She grabbed my hand and begged,**

"**Please Rose, just give him a chance."**

**I shook my hand from her grip, "NO! I will not talk to Gaston. He doesn't care about anything except hunting and how women look. I don't want to marry, let alone talk to him and that's final!"**

**I turned around and was about to walk away but instead bumped into a muscular chest.**

"**Did someone say my name?"**

**I looked up only to see the face of Gaston Alveire, just the man I 'didn't' want to see right now. "Why hello Rose, pleasant meeting you here."**

**I wanted to say it was an unpleasant meeting, but I held my tongue and replied, "Uh…hello Gaston. As much as I would like to stay and chat, I must be heading home soon. My father might get worried."**

**I tried to walk past him, but as always Gaston wouldn't let me go that easy.**

"**Hold it right there Rose. Wouldn't you like to have lunch with me?" he said in his casual voice.**

"**I'm sorry Gaston. I must go to the library and then head home to help Papa."**

**I knew Gaston would say something about my father. My father is an inventor, but his inventions don't always work and end up exploding. So to the villagers my father is a crazy old man and should be put into the asylum.**

"**You mean that old wacko? Why would anyone want to go home to him? Hahahahaha!"**

**Right then and there I lost my temper and yelled to Gaston,**

"**My father is not CRAZY! The only person crazy in this town is you. You're crazy about hunting, about women, and of course YOURSELF!" **

**I grabbed his shirt and pushed him into the passing herd of sheep. He tripped and then fell into the fountain that lay in the middle of the small village. Many townsfolk laughed at his sudden embarrassment, but Gaston was not pleased one bit. He sat in the fountain thinking why the one woman he like refused to be his wife or at least acknowledge him.**

"**Humph, served him right" I mumbled as I made my way to 'Le Carters Book Store'. I loved books, any kind and any type. I would read them day and night about dragons, or magic anything really. But my favorite books to read were stories about princesses hoping to meet their prince charming. I too wanted to find my prince charming one day but reality always held me back against my hope. As I walked into the store, I accidentally bumped into another muscular figure**.

_Oh why does this keep happening, I do hope it's not Gaston again. Though I highly doubt I he wouldn't go anywhere near a book store. It would hurt his head._

"**Oomph!" a masculine voice let out, as I bumped into a man while still fuming about Gaston. The monsieur dropped all of his books as we both fell to the ground. The man started to say something, but stopped when he looked at me. I of course didn't notice. I was trying to pick up all of the books for the man,**

"**Oh, I'm sorry monsieur; I should have been watching where I was going." I said, trying hard not to embarrass myself.**

"**No, it was my fault mademoiselle. I had too many books to see where I was going." The monsieur said, he had a deep voice, but it sounded so soft on something so deep.**

**He then bent down beside me. I looked at him with curiosity, only to be astounded. He was very handsome, tall, had light brown hair in a ponytail, and the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. I felt shy about my appearance, I was just a plain girl with only dark brown hair, green emerald eyes and came up to the man's shoulders. **

**I wasn't near as pretty as any of the other girls in the village. I was surprised that such a handsome man as him would talk to someone like me, who was considered weird because I loved books.**

**We finished picking up the books earlier on and then somehow got caught up talking for hours about each other. The conversation itself was calming and we didn't seem the least bit nervous talking about what we liked, what books we liked, and what we liked and didn't like about the world. We were very much in common and I found out that the monsieur wanted the exactly same thing in life, love. I found out that the man also lost his parents when he was very young, so he has been living by himself since then. He wanted to know if I had family, so I told him about my father and how he was an inventor. I kinda knew what his next question would be,**

"**How about your mother?"**

**Father told me when I was young, that mother died from a sickness that was going around that time, and that it took many lives over the winter when it started. I never knew her because she died when I was still at a young age, but father says I look almost exactly like her.**

**It was getting late, but at the last moment I realized that we never told each other our names. He must have been thinking the same thing because he then asked "Mademoiselle, if I may kindly ask what your name is?"**

**I shyly answered "Rose. May I ask what your name is?"**

**He seemed to have to think then said in a very low whisper, almost as if he was trying to be sure that was his name. "Calostire."**

**We sat on a hill far away from the village for a while just staring out on the sunset in a comfortable silence. Calostire's voice cut through the silent moment.**

"**Rose?" I looked at him. He said in such a soft voice I could almost barley hear it.**

"**Yes Calostire?" he looked at me with those blue eyes.**

"**Would you…would you like to meet up again tomorrow?" I was so surprised that my answer came out exasperated,**

"**Yes, I would love to see you tomorrow!"**

**He smiled. I couldn't wait.**

"**Alright then, where would you like to meet?" he asked. I thought for a moment.**

_Where is the best place to meet Calostire?_

**Then I got the perfect idea.**

"**How about the village fountain? It's the perfect spot in the village around noon! The townsfolk are always busy and don't hover around there, so it will be all to ourselves."**

**His smile got even bigger,**

"**That sounds perfect!"**

**I ran home to father as soon as I bid Calostire a farewell. My home was shared with my father because I never wanted to leave him. The house itself wasn't the best thing in the world or the worst. It was just a tile roofed, white bricked, and small little home. We also had some live stock like chickens, goats, and a horse named Philippe. It was a roof over my head, and my home since I was born, it was home. **

**I wanted to tell father of the day's events and how I meet Calostire.**

"**Father?" I yelled as I came through the door,**

"**I'm in here Rose. Just working on this brand new invention, it is supposed to chop wood and then calibrate the angle on the direction that the wood shall be stacked. Then this little gear, should click on the radiator…" father trailed off while explaining the invention. "To sum it all up, no more cutting wood and stacking for us!" He smiled cheerfully at his invention. **

**I was surprised and confused at the same time but brushed it off.**

"**Father, I met this amazing man today while heading to the library. His name is Calostire! He loves books, the same kind I do, and he loves almost everything I do!" **

**Father put down his working tools; he coughed for a while and faced me,**

"**That's greats Rose! When will you be seeing this Calostire again?" This time I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer.**

"**TOMORROW!" my father smiled. Behind my excitement I was worried for my father. Winter was here and my father has gotten sick, and it seemed as though it was getting worse. I tried to get him to go to a doctor, but being as my father is, he refuses to go saying,**

"**A scientist never gives up on inventing, so if I went to a silly doctor, I would lose many hours of thinking and building." He was as stubborn as a mule.**

"**Father are you ok?"**

**He smiled after another coughing fit,**

"**Of course Rose. It's just a little cold; it'll be gone in a while. Anyway, I think I'll head off to bed. It's been a long day." He then looked at me with one of those mischievous grins,**

"**I think you should as well, after all you don't want to keep that Calostire fellow waiting for your sleepy head." I laughed, and then kissed my father good, night.**

**That night all I dreamed of were me and Calostire together…**

**My heart leaped, it was Calostire; Gaston, seeing my smile, turned to face Calostire, his arms still around me.**

"**Who are you and how do you now MY Rose?"**

**I instantly frowned at his tone of 'MY' Rose and yelled at him,**

"**I am not YOUR Rose now let me go!"**

**Gaston only continued to laugh when Calostire got a very threatening voice, almost like a growl.**

"**I am Calostire, and if you don't mind letting her go, her and I have a date to go to."**

**My face must have resembled a tomato, because I turned as red as my dress when he said that I was on a date with him. Not that I don't want to go on a date with him, but as soon as the words left Calostires mouth, I felt Gaston's grip on me falter. Not wanting to lose the opportunity to escape, I used this moment to run towards Calostire and give him the biggest hug I could manage. For two reasons, one to make Gaston know for sure that I was with Calostire, and two because I was thankful that Calostire came and helped me. **

**Calostire was surprised at first but hugged me back warmly, making me turn red even more. **

**Gaston, who was still slack-jawed, had had enough.**

"**Who do you think you are? Rose is my girl!" he tried to grab me from Calostire, but Calostire somehow moved swiftly and was behind Gaston in an instant.**

**I stared in awe at how quick Calostire was on his feet; from what Calostire told me he had been trained to fight as a child. Apparently he wasn't lying (not that I thought he was), and was no amateur when it came to combat.**

**Gaston whipped around and tried to take a swing at Calostire, but somehow he easily avoided what so many others got hit by. Gaston, after several other tries of knocking Calostire's face off, was slowing losing this battle. Somehow though, I could see something flicker in Calostires eyes, rage, after Gaston mumbled about me being his and his alone. With tremendous speed Gaston was then thrown to the ground. I saw him try and get up and regain composure, but Calostire then punched Gaston in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. To then finish it off, he punched him in the face; knocking Gaston out cold. Calostire walked over to me, asking if I was alright, I merely nodded. Calostire was not hit once by the 'hunk' of the town, and I just made me smile at how Calostire had done it with ease.**

_Wow, I never thought that I would see the day that Gaston would get beaten so badly. Calostire really amazing!_

**Later that day after things had settled down, Calostire asked who Gaston was.**

"**He is the villages' best hunter and the town's ladies man. Everyone adores him and thinks he's the greatest."**

**He nodded and then asked why he was giving me trouble and grabbing me. I told him, "He wants me to marry him."**

**As I said that I saw Calostire look down and frown.**

"**But I don't to be married to him; there is someone else I care for. He's strong, smart, caring, and loves to read as much as I do."**

**I almost couldn't say it because I was afraid of what he might say, but I finally managed to say it.**

"**You."**

**He looked down at me with those blue eyes. For a moment I thought he was going to say he didn't feel the same way, but then he came closer and kissed me.**

_Oh my gosh! He kissed me, what do I do? This is my first kiss…I guess...I kiss back._

**He broke away from me only to find me blushing like mad.**

"**I know we haven't known each other very long, but I feel the same about you Rose."**

**We sat in yet another comfortable silence for a while. Then Calostire faced me and said.**

"**Well I guess we can finish our…date, if that's ok with you Rose?"**

**I nodded still too stunned from the kiss.**


	3. Date?

**Chapter Three**

**Date?!**

**The next day I practically ran to the village, although I was almost late because I was trying to find out what to wear for Calostire. So I wore my favorite dress, a crimson red dress that went down to my knees with a white v crest on the front. It was a gift from my father on my sixteenth birthday, and I treasured it very much. I just hope Calostire likes it. **

**I was a bit nervous I admit but also excited, this was my very first time being alone with someone I cared about. People in the village were kind, but there was no one I could ever really call a friend. Now I have someone who I can actually talk to and be happy with. **

**I was almost to the fountain when I felt an arm wrap around my waist and pull me towards a chest. The owner of the arm whispered in my ear,**

"**My Rose, don't you look beautiful today? What's the occasion? Can't wait to see my handsome face, and giant arms of steel?"**

**I instantly new it was Gaston and tried to pry myself from his grip, but his grip only tightened.**

"**Let me go GASTON!" I yelled "I'm not here for you, so if you don't mind…" I struggled even more. He only laughed.**

"**No, not unless you…kiss me."**

**I was about to yell when a voice came from behind Gaston.**

"**Rose, is this man bothering you?"**

**My heart leaped, it was Calostire; Gaston, seeing my smile, turned to face Calostire, his arms still around me.**

"**Who are you and how do you now MY Rose?"**

**I instantly frowned at his tone of 'MY' Rose and yelled at him,**

"**I am not YOUR Rose now let me go!"**

**Gaston only continued to laugh when Calostire got a very threatening voice, almost like a growl.**

"**I am Calostire, and if you don't mind letting her go, her and I have a date to go to."**

**My face must have resembled a tomato, because I turned as red as my dress when he said that I was on a date with him. Not that I don't want to go on a date with him, but as soon as the words left Calostires mouth, I felt Gaston's grip on me falter. Not wanting to lose the opportunity to escape, I used this moment to run towards Calostire and give him the biggest hug I could manage. For two reasons, one to make Gaston know for sure that I was with Calostire, and two because I was thankful that Calostire came and helped me. **

**Calostire was surprised at first but hugged me back warmly, making me turn red even more. **

**Gaston, who was still slack-jawed, had had enough.**

"**Who do you think you are? Rose is my girl!" he tried to grab me from Calostire, but Calostire somehow moved swiftly and was behind Gaston in an instant.**

**I stared in awe at how quick Calostire was on his feet; from what Calostire told me he had been trained to fight as a child. Apparently he wasn't lying (not that I thought he was), and was no amateur when it came to combat.**

**Gaston whipped around and tried to take a swing at Calostire, but somehow he easily avoided what so many others got hit by. Gaston, after several other tries of knocking Calostire's face off, was slowing losing this battle. Somehow though, I could see something flicker in Calostires eyes, rage, after Gaston mumbled about me being his and his alone. With tremendous speed Gaston was then thrown to the ground. I saw him try and get up and regain composure, but Calostire then punched Gaston in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. To then finish it off, he punched him in the face; knocking Gaston out cold. Calostire walked over to me, asking if I was alright, I merely nodded. Calostire was not hit once by the 'hunk' of the town, and I just made me smile at how Calostire had done it with ease.**

_Wow, I never thought that I would see the day that Gaston would get beaten so badly. Calostire really is great!_

**Later that day after things had settled down, Calostire asked who Gaston was.**

"**He is the villages' best hunter and the town's ladies man. Everyone adores him and thinks he's the greatest."**

**He nodded and then asked why he was giving me trouble and grabbing me. I told him, "He wants me to marry him."**

**As I said that I saw Calostire look down and frown.**

"**But I don't to be married to him; there is someone else I care for. He's strong, smart, caring, and loves to read as much as I do."**

**I almost couldn't say it because I was afraid of what he might say, but I finally managed to say it.**

"**You."**

**He looked down at me with those blue eyes. For a moment I thought he was going to say he didn't feel the same way, but then he came closer and kissed me.**

_Oh my gosh! He kissed me, what do I do? This is my first kiss…but I feel great that Calostire was the man to give me this kiss._

**He broke away from me only to find me blushing like mad.**

"**I know we haven't known each other very long, but I feel the same about you Rose."**

**We sat in yet another comfortable silence for a while. Then Calostire faced me and said.**

"**Well I guess we can finish our…date, if that's ok with you Rose?"**

**I nodded still too stunned from the kiss.**


	4. Love At Last

**Chapter Four**

**Love At Last**

'**DING, DONG, DONG' the little center town clock chimed as it read almost midnight. **

**Calostire and I were reading together in the candlelight of the square when Calostire noticed the time and that I was starting to fall asleep on his shoulder.**

"**Rose…it's getting late and you look tired, maybe you should head home?" I nodded although I didn't want to go, he was so warm. But then I thought of father.**

"**Yes, father will be worried if I don't get home soon."**

**He asked if I would like him to walk me home, but I said it was fine. Then a question popped in my head.**

"**Calostire if you don't mind me asking where you do live?"**

**I could feel him tense up (since I was leaning on his shoulder) at the question but he answered the question anyway.**

"**My home is on the outside of the village."**

**I already knew he didn't like the question so I didn't pursue to find a more specific answer. But apparently Calostire finding it funny asked me the same question. "Rose where do you live?"**

**I smiled and pointed to the small house on the hill.**

"**It may not be much but its home."**

**I got up and kissed him on the cheek and started to walk but he grabbed me and retuned the kiss**

"**Good bye Rose"**

**He said as he walked away. I smiled.**

"**Goodbye…Calostire"**

**Days went on like this. Calostire and I would meet up, read, or do other things like go to the lake or go for walks around the village. I never felt so happy in my life. But the only thing keeping me down was father's sickness. He still won't allow me to take him to the doctor or get him medicine, and the cough was getting worse. If this kept on I didn't know what I was going to do. I talked to Calostire about it and he suggested taking him to the doctor. I laughed telling him that father refused to go near a doctor for fear of missing inventing time. He laughed as well.**

**Today Calostire and I went to the hill top that looked over the village. Calostire was acting a bit strange. He was shaking sometimes or he would shudder even though there was no breeze. I asked him what was wrong, but he said it was nothing but thanked me for caring. Whenever he thanked me or complimented me I always blushed. He would laugh when I did this, finding it amusing at my reactions to his compliments. His laughter made me happy, so I laughed too. At the end of the day we went separate ways, but not before a good bye kiss.**

**But for some reason, the kiss that we shared today was different. **

**Calostire held me after we shared the kiss and whispered in my ear, **

"**Rose, no matter what I'm always here for you. Do you understand? I would never do anything to harm you." Calostire hugged me tighter, almost as if he was fearing that he would never see me again. **

**I was confused, why was he saying all of this? "Of course I understand Calostire, I trust you with my life…"**

**Calostire gave me one more quick hug, before we bid our goodnights again. **

**Something was wrong.**

**On the way home I noticed that the lights were not on, which was odd because the lights never came off due to the fact that father was always inventing. As I got to the front door of our house I noticed that Philippe our horse was gone, and that the house was empty. I heard a voice calling my name from behind. I turned around only to find Lofu, Gaston's little follower, coming towards me.**

**When he reached me he was out of breath and gasping for air.**

"**Rose huff your father huff ran into the huff woods."**

**I was very confused, why would father go into the woods.**

"**Lofu, father never goes in the woods, he's always said that it was full of dangers, so why would he go?"**

**By now he gained his composer and said,**

"**While your father was working on some project, the thing exploded…as always…, scaring your one horse. We could hear it all the way back to the village, but anyway, your horse was so frightened that it ran straight into the woods. All of us guys came out of the barn to see what was wrong when we saw the old man yelling and running into the woods. I went looking for you to warn you sooner because I figured you should probably know, but I couldn't find you."**

**I was extremely worried now. Snow was starting to fall now and it continued at this rate a blizzard would start.**

"**Thank you Lofu, please go get Gaston. I know that he is not happy with me, but tell him it would mean the world to me if he helped me. He knows these woods better than anyone."**

**He nodded, "Good idea"**

**With that Lofu ran off to the village smirking, everything was going according to plan.**


	5. The Big Bad Wolves

**Chapter Five**

**The Big Bad Wolves**

**When I was little, father always told me to stay away from the woods. From my view of the woods they were beautiful and enchanting. Oh how wrong I was. Inside the woods were dark trees and noises coming from everywhere. The snow wasn't helping either; I couldn't see anything far away. So my only hope was calling my father.**

"**Papa! Papa where are you?" ****Something dark moved in the trees, **"**Papa?"**

**The figure was moving swiftly so I couldn't see it.**

"**Papa Cough wait!" ****I was coughing more franticly now.**

_Great, now I am getting sick and I can't find my father. What else can go wrong?_

**All of a sudden a growl came from behind me. **

**The woods were best known for the wolves and their attacks on village folk that came into them. Now I was going to be the next victim.**

**I grabbed a stick nearby in a desperate attempt to frighten the wolf away by swinging at it. More growls were appearing as well as the creatures making them; more were coming out of the shadows, almost as if they were born from the depths of the dark that laid in the woods.**

"**Oh no." Was all I could muster as I noticed that there could be no way for me to defend myself against all of them.**

**It seemed that they waited on a cue to jump me all at the same time. One grabbed my cloak I was wearing and tore at is savagely, but it soon stopped and went for my arm. The others were cutting and scratching at my legs and face. Blood was all I could see.**

"**Help me…someone!" I yelled out into the night.**

**My voice came out in a forced yell. Then an even louder roar came from nearby, something large came over me and started to bite and tear at the wolves. Yelps, snipping, and growling filled the trees with noises of an attack. After a while, the wolves soon gave up and ran for it. The figure that saved me, and then turned to me.**

_So this is how it ends…I just wish I told Calostire…_

**Then everything went black. But the last this I heard was a faint voice say my name.**

"**Rose..."**


	6. To the Castle of the Beast

**Chapter Six**

**To the Castle of the Beast**

**(Beast's POV)**

**I looked at Rose as I scooped her up from the cold, almost red snow, which was now covering the area, but it was soon to be wiped away by the fresh snow, now falling at a faster rate. She had many cuts on her face and arms as well as dried tears, but what concerned me the most was how many cuts she had all over her. They covered her arms, legs, and even her stomach from what I could tell from her dress. What was once a beautiful dress was now torn pieces of cloth thanks to the wolves' sharp canine teeth. **

**In my head a very clear, and very nagging voice was saying,**

_This is my entire fault. Getting Rose involved in my life, as well as getting feelings for her. I should have never met her, then none of this would have happened._

**I shook my head to make the thoughts go away.**

_No…I have no regrets about meeting Rose. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me after my curse. I just wish that I was able to tell her before I changed that…I…_

**I couldn't even say it, there was no way she could ever feel that way now that I've become.**

**Rose was now trembling as I held her, her once fearful face was somewhat calm.**

"**She looked so scared. Why were you out here Rose?" I whispered to myself.**

**I couldn't leave her here and just hope for one of the villagers to come and find her. The wolves would just come back and...I would kill myself if I did that. Her cuts needed to be tended to immediately, and there was only one place that could heal her quickly. So I pulled off my cloak and put it over her to warm her up, and headed to my home, the castle of the beast.**

"**Master!"**

**The candle known as Lumiere, stood at the entrance of the castle along with Cogsworth, the clock.**

"**Master, why do you have an injured mademoiselle with you?" Cogsworth asked.**

**The servants were worried that their Master had finally snapped and grabbed a girl by force.**

"**Lumiere, Cogsworth go and find Mrs. Potts and tell her to bring bandages."**

**My voice was getting very deep and I was almost yelling at the servants.**

"**But Master…"**

**The candle started,**

"**NOW!!" I roared.**

"**Yes Master."**

**When all of the servants had left the room I looked down at the cut up Rose. I had her cuddled up in my arms like a sleeping child. Just the way she was wincing every so often**

_Don't worry Rose, nothing will harm you anymore._

**I wished it were true, because I was more worried about the beast side of me harming her.**

_I will get her better! And everything will be okay._

"**Rose" he sighed.**


	7. Meeting the Master

**Chapter Seven**

**Meeting the Master**

**(Rose's POV)**

**"OUCH!" I yelped as I tried to sit up and move.**

**"Where am I?" I mumbled as I looked around. **

**The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was looking for my father and then the wolves appeared…I couldn't remember anything else past that besides hearing my name. Forgetting about last night I looked around again. To my astonishment I was laying in the most azure bed that was silk and crimson red, and I was the most comfortable thing I had ever slept in. As for the rest of the room, it was all covered in the finest furniture and beautiful things imaginable. Something that a pheasant girl like me, would never imagine to see in all of my life. **

**Out of nowhere a tea pot came in and asked, "Would you like some tea dear?"**

**I didn't answer for a moment staring at the pot with amazement, thinking that this was all a dream. I pinched myself, which must have been why the tea pot was chuckling a little. A girl randomly pinching herself, nice way to introduce yourself to someone. But none the less it was real. So I responded politely,**

"**No…no thank you. Do you mind me asking where I am?"**

**The tea pot kindly responded while she was hopping onto the moving tray so she could look at me eye to eye.**

"**You are in the Masters castle dear."**

_The Masters castle? What a strange name for a castle...no it must be her 'masters' castle._

"**Excuse me…umm Mrs.?"**

"**Potts dear" the tea pot kindly responded.**

"**Thank you. Mrs. Potts, do you mind telling me how long I have been here?" she nodded,**

"**Certainly dear, you've only been here for a day. And I must say that you've been sleeping from dusk to dusk." She chuckled at her own joke.**

_A day! Anything could have happened to father by now, what am I going to do? Wait! Maybe the person who lives in this castle saw him and helped him. I hope._

"**Where is your Master Mrs. Potts?"**

**Mrs. Potts at first asked what my name was so I told her. I asked the same question again like before. She didn't answer the first time.**

"**Master is in the West Wing."**

**Okay so this 'Master' lives in this giant castle, the castle is in the woods, has a talking tea pot and so my only question was how I got into his castle unless…**

"**Mrs. Potts did your Master…well did he bring me here?"**

**Mrs. Potts said in a very low whisper,**

"**Yes dear, but you must not get out of bed. You are still injured and sick. Don't forget about the cuts everywhere."**

**I ignored her, how could I sit in bed when a kind man allowed me to rest in his home. Plus the sooner I thanked him the sooner I could go and find my father.**

**Just as I was about to walk out of the room, with a smooth and white silk dress on, a candle and a very plump looking clock, jumped out at me from behind the doorway making me jump and fall on my butt.**

"**Mademoiselle! Are you OK? We didn't mean to startle you."**

**I only laughed. Meeting a talking candle and a clock was not something you see every day. "It's OK, I'm fine. Just a bit startled."**

**The candle made a sigh of relief. "I am monsieur Lumiere and this is-", the candle was cut off as the clock yelled angrily.**

"**I can speak for myself Lumiere! Pardon me, I am Cogsworth."**

**With that, I kindly greeted them both, as I raised myself up from the floor, brushing myself off. Then I offered them both my warmest smile.**

"**Please to meet you monsieur's. Do any of you mind showing me where the 'West Wing' is?"**

**Both of them quickly started asking if I would rather look around the other parts of the castle instead.**

"**How about the dining room or the study!" that definitely sparked an interest in me because where there was a study there was books, but I had to hurry and find my father.**

"**A study! I love books!" I said.**

**The two started laughing and singing about how many books there were, and how no one would be able to read them all. In all of their laughing glory they didn't happen to notice me slipping away into the West Hallway, where both had looked as soon as I asked where the certain wing was.**

**As I walked through the hallways I noticed it was a very dark, gloomy and the beast like statues made me even more frightened than I already was, but I kept going. I also noticed the farther I went down the hallway, the more broken things started showing up. They all seemed to come from something that I would have in my nightmares, I was terrified now.**

**Finally I reached a gigantic doorway with a lion head as a handle, and it now occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be here. After all Mrs. Potts, although she seemed more concerned about my cuts, she wouldn't let me know about her master. And Lumiere and Cogsworth both immediately went do a different subject. This made me wonder if I was allowed to enter, but I was just going to thank the Master of the household. **

**After arguing over whether or not to open it, I finally came to an agreement with myself. I opened the door, once I got inside I wondered if I was in the right room because compared to the other lavished rooms this room was disastrous like the hallway, except much worse.**

**Broken things lay everywhere, such as tables, a bed, and some things I couldn't make out. But in the middle of the room a glowing rose sat on a small table inside a round glass. Beside the rose was a balcony that looked over the village, out to the mountains, and even a gorge that surrounded the castle. I didn't want to look down at the cliff, but I couldn't anyway, I was too caught up with the rose. I walked over to the it and removed a round cylinder glass that covered it, and just as I was about to touch one of its red petals, a voice came from behind me,**

"**What are you doing in here?"**

**I turned around but couldn't see anyone due to the darkness.**

"**I…I came to than--"**

"**Get out of this room" the voice growled. It sounded deep like thunder.**

**I was now terrified. I tried scanning the room looking for some sign of where the voice was coming from, but the voice echoed as it spoke.**

"**You are to stay in this castle with me, but for now get out of this ROOM! No one is to ever come in here, but since you are new you will not suffer the consequences. Anyway, you will never leave this castle. You will soon learn the rules."**

**I was now confused and scared. I came to thank this 'Master' for his hospitality only to find out he wanted to keep me here in his castle against my will.**

"**NO!" I yelled. A growl was heard again but oddly enough laughter soon came from the shadows.**

"**Yes, you are to stay in this castle with me. You owe me for taking you from the woods and the storm. I will never let you go…Rose."**

**I ran. I ran as fast as I could down the hallway and to the entrance. I could see that Lumiere and Cogsworth finally found out that I didn't follow them. The voice still rang in my head, as if it wanted to continue to torment me even though I was well away from the actual speaker. What if this 'Master' had put a spell on me, to make my spirits break, thinking it would never leave me alone. The thought made shivers go down my spine.**

"**Rose, where are you going?" asked Lumiere.**

"**Away. Thank you Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts. For everything, but I can't stay here. I just can't."**

**I heard a roar coming from the end of the hallway. My head turned towards the West Hall from where I came from, the roar was close. I looked down at the people/objects that had been so kind to me. Their pleading looks puzzled me, but all I could muster before I left was a quick, "Goodbye."**

**With that I ran out into the snow.**


	8. Frightning

**Chapter Eight**

**Frightening**

**(Beast's POV)**

**I saw her, Rose. She was still cut everywhere but she still looked beautiful in the roses light. The beast side of me wanted to keep her at the castle by force and never let her leave; after all she owed it to me. The beast side of me was also grinning, it wanted to frighten her and scare her. This thought disgusted me because it seems that the other side of me was doing everything that it could think of just to hurt Rose. But the human side of me, the real me, wanted her to be comforted and to stay in my castle of her own free will, to stay with me. Of course the beast side of me won.**

"**What are you doing in here?" I asked.**

**She turned around looking for me but thank goodness the shadows hid me. She looked clearly scared.**

"**I…I came to than-"**

**I cut her off, "Get out of this room"**

**I could see her now faintly shaking. It hurt me inside to see her terrified of me. I never wanted to hurt her in anyway; instead I wanted her to come to me when she is scared, like when Gaston was gripping her and I came to her aid. She gave me that wonderful warming hug. The beast side of me was enjoying her fear, as if were some type of energy. The more fear she gave out, the harder it was for me to fight of the horrible side of me.**

"**You are to stay in this castle with me, but for now get out of this ROOM! No one is to ever come in here, but since you are new you will not suffer the consequences. Anyway, you will never leave the castle. You will soon learn the rules." **

**My own words stung the inside of me, as if I was cold and could just freeze the heart I still had inside of me.**

**I could see her summon up all of her courage and yell,**

"**NO!"**

**The beast wouldn't take no for answer. Somehow I managed a grin; she was always so rebellious and strong. Not afraid to stand up for herself, and never let anyway make her weak. At first I growled in frustration but then laughed at her for attempting to deny it.**

"**Yes, you are stay in this castle with me. You owe me for taking you in from the woods and the storm. I will never let you go…Rose."**

**Then she ran, I knew she was heading for the entrance. I had to stop her; both of my sides care for her, even if the other one didn't show it too well. I was worried for her safety. And she was only wearing a silk dress, and was still injured and sick. If she went outside, her condition will worsen. **

**I roared in annoyance, things just couldn't get any better. I quickly ran down my dark hallways, past the gargoyles and other monstrosities that were created when the curse started, passing the mirror that I first broke as I saw my face in its form. But as I ran to the entrance door Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts were all asking the very same question,**

"**Why did she leave?" They all asked in union.**

**I yelled at them, "Silence!"**

**And I ran through the doors after Rose. My giant castle loomed over my land, as if it was trying to install fear into any passers heart, but no one ever came into the woods. Wolves would either kill them, or they would wander for days on end trying to find their way out of the maze of trees. White now was covering my land, and the wind was picking up. **

**The blistering cold was nothing compared to how cold my heart felt at this moment.**


	9. In the Snow and Back Again

**Chapter Nine**

**Into the Snow and Back Again**

**(Rose's POV)**

**I was still sick, and I was now getting dizzy from over exerting myself. As soon as I exited the castle gates I saw how quickly the snow was falling, and was having second thoughts. The once black woods looked like a winter wonder land, but now the warmth of the castle seemed to beckon to me, I didn't want to think about that. Though the snow was still coming down, I couldn't see a thing except for a few things up close. **

**Turning around I heard a growl, only to see a large looming figure coming closer, those second thoughts were long gone.**

**I never wanted to hear that voice again or be at that castle with him. Shivers went down my back again when I heard him yell not to far way,**

"**Rose gets back here NOW!"**

**I turned around and yelled with all of the energy I had left,**

"**NOO, I will not. I hate you and I never want to see you again!"**

**The figure then jumped at me as I tried backing away. I didn't notice the log behind me, because it was covered in snow, and fell. One of the cracked braches cut deep in my side and made me yell out in pain, my wound making a red stain on the white surroundings.**

**I then curled into a ball crying because I knew the figure would be upon me any minute, and I was thinking the worse to come. A shadow came over me and I turned my head not wanting to let him see me crying. The 'Master' whispered something unintelligible. Once I started coughing and shivering more, the figure took a step closer to me. My thoughts were muddled and the only thing I could think of was trying to crawl away from him when the 'Master' said,**

"**Rose, if you wish to live my best advice would be that you come with me"**

**His voice had a small growl to it but it was also in a faint worrying tone.**

"**No" I said weakly, barely able to resist anymore.**

**Then I felt two strong arms pick me up.**

**The arms were FURRY! Not like humans, but like an animal. I looked up into the man face; it was the face of a beast. I looked closely, the Beast head, it resembled a wolf in some way with weird ears on the side of his head, but the rest of the body was different. His hands had claws or talons on them. A bushy long tail was in the rear, swishing about. He looked down at me; he had brown horns at the top of his head, along with fangs that looked like they could cut through anything easily. But his eyes were the only human looking feature on him; they were a familiar deep blue.**

**I used all of my remaining strength to try and get out his grasp, but he had too strong of a grip, plus his claws looked as sharp as his teeth and I didn't want to get cut even more. I gave up exhausted and just let the Beast carry me.**


	10. Discovered

**Chapter Ten**

**Discovered**

**(Beast's POV)**

**She found out what I was and tried to get away but I held on to her firmly, but not hard enough to hurt her. Finally she stopped, to sick and weak to continue. I could feel her shivering but she found out that my fur was warm, so she didn't shiver as much; once she was warm she stayed awake and looked up at me once again, I couldn't bring myself to look at her.**

**I felt awful guilt; I had brought her here, scared her, and made her run outside only for her to get worse. She coughed many times and I cursed myself over and over again for letting this happen. I was back to my normal self, but I knew that right now Rose was probably more frightened than ever. My heart was also pained, her words cut through me worse than a knife ever could.**

"_NOO, I will not. I hate you and I never want to see you again!"_

**I could understand why she said it. If I were her, I would hate me too for what I had done.**

**We made it to the castle after a few moments; all of the servants were in the castle entrance waiting to see what happened.**

"**Master…" Mrs. Potts started.**

**Lumiere, who seemed upset about the cut on Rose, said,**

"**Master forgive me by asking but, did you cut her trying to get her to come back to the castle?"**

**I looked over at the candle and replied,**

"**No Lumiere, I went after her to get her. But then she tripped over a log, trying to get away from me, and cut her arm."**

**It hurt for me to explain to them that she hurt herself trying to run away from me frightened, but of course I told them. Rose was still barely awake, and aware of everyone, but she was still too cold and tired to respond to anyone. I knew that I had to do something about that cut on her side so I looked at Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth.**

"**Lumiere, go to the Resting Room and start a fire, Cogsworth, go and get some food prepared, and Mrs. Potts go and get some wet bandages."**

**The servants obeyed as I took Rose to the Resting Room. The fire was already started and the room was pleasantly warm, with a tray of some fresh fruit and bread on a small table in the middle of the room. I laid Rose down on the giant couch, Rose looked worn out and the cut on her side was still bleeding. Mrs. Potts came in with the bandages; and as I grabbed one and tried to put it one Rose's bleeding wound, she scooted away.**

"**Rose, please let me look at your side." I slightly begged.**

**She did nothing but stare at me blankly, her emerald eyes suspicious. Still not moving, I growled loudly. I didn't want her to get even worse.**

"**ROSE! Get over here NOW! And let me look at your side!"**


	11. Pain and Questions

**Chapter Eleven**

**Pain and Questions**

**(Rose POV)**

**My side was still bleeding and it hurt very much, but I didn't want to go near Beast. I had named him that since I didn't want to call him 'Master'. **

**Mrs. Potts came in with the bandages Beast asked, he grabbed it and came close to me, but I scuttled away. Being near him was the last place I want to be.**

**He asked, "Rose, please let me look at your wound."**

**I didn't move, I didn't know whether or not to trust him. He growled this time, clearly becoming angry, and yelled,**

"**ROSE! Get over here NOW! And let me look at your side!"**

**I slowly and hesitantly came closer and seated myself next to him. He carefully ripped the remaining cloth from the dress that dangled from my side so he could see the whole cut, and carefully dabbed the bandage on my side. I wanted to yell because the pain was coming back, but all I let out was a few tears slid down my face. I knew that he could see me crying but I didn't care.**

**Once he finished Bandaging my side I sat still for a few moments going over all that had happened that very day, while Beast was ushering everyone out of the room. I had eaten some of the fruit that Cogsworth had brought, and then ate the bread slowly. The whole time I could feel Beast's eyes watching my every move, almost as if trying to wait and see what my reactions to everything would be.**

**As I pondered over my thoughts once more the one thing I don't remember doing was telling Beast my name and yet he has said it several times. I kept staring at the floor thinking, but after a while I asked,**

"**How do you know my name? I never told you."**

**I could see him frown out of the corner of my eye, but he said,**

"**The servants told me your name"**

**I had a feeling he was lying.**

"**But, in the woods I heard you say it, so none of the servants had the chance to talk to you because I never went to the castle before! How do you know my name!?"**

**He growled, clearly not liking where I was going with this.**

"**I…I do not owe and explanation to you. Right now the only thing you should be worried about is that cut on your side!" He growled as he sat down on the couch again, tired looking.**

**I knew that he was becoming angry; so I looked away and just pushed the question to the back of my head for later.**

**After a few minutes of silence, I could feel tiredness was coming back and I fell asleep next to Beast and ended up on Beast's shoulder on the couch, the blazing fire making me warm. Along with Beasts fur.**


	12. Trouble All Over Again

**Chapter Twelve**

**Trouble All Over Again**

**(Beast POV)**

**Rose was very quite after I bandaged her cut. She ate some of the fruits and the bread that Cogsworth had brought in. I knew she was thinking about something the way her facial expression was deep in concentration, as she did this many times in the village whenever I tried to test her on our favorite stories. Her face still showed some pain but to me she was always beautiful no matter how she looked. But seeing her in pain made my heart ache. All of a sudden her voice came out through the silence of the room. It sounded just like it used to before this all happened**

"**How do you know my name? I never told you."**

**Her voice was soft and frail, as if it was hurt instead of her side.**

**How could I tell her? How could I tell her that I was the Calostire human she fell in love with? No. I won't tell her…yet.**

"**The servants told me your name"**

**I could tell she knew I was lying.**

"**But in the woods I heard you say it, so none of the servants had the chance to talk to you because I've never been to the castle before! How do you know my name!?"**

**I growled. I didn't want her to be wondering about how I found out her name at a time like this.**

"**I…I do not owe and explanation to you. Right now the only thing you should be worried about is that cut on your side!"**

**She looked away and remained silent after that.**

**Minutes later I looked over at Rose when I felt something on my shoulder, only to see her sleeping. She was smiling, so I guess she was having a good dream. After a couple of hours of dozing off myself I stood up and wrapped a blanket around her then picked her up. This reminded me of a time in the village when Rose and I were reading together. She ended up falling asleep reading the book to me. So I picked her up and took her home. Her father merely laughed at the sight. He said that Rose would read till the early hours of the morning when she was little. I took her to her room and laid her down on her small bed. Before I left I planted a small kiss on her head.**

**Those memories remained dear to me, I only wish I could still be around Rose the way I used to.**

**Shaking myself out of my memories, I looked at his giant clock next to the fire. It was midnight, and I figured that she would be much more comfortable in her own room. She made a disapproval noise for being disturbed, but then her smile returned once again. I smiled at how happy she looked.**

_I hope one day she will be comfortable around me and that she will understand why she has to stay her. And even maybe she will smile at me like that again. Instead of the fearful looks she gives me now.._

**I took Rose up to her room where she would get better rest instead of sleeping on the couch. We were halfway up through the hallway when Rose woke up. At first she looked confused then she looked at me and screamed. She jumped out of my arms; I went ahead and let her go because her scream nearly deafened me, due to my sensitive ears. My temper and the pain in my ears were going to make me yell at her to stop, but the noise had suddenly ceased as if my command had been spoken. I noticed she was gone.**

"**Rose? Rose where are you?!" I said out loud.**

**I could hear her footsteps down the hallway so I took after her.**


	13. Apologies

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Apologies**

**(Rose POV)**

**HUFF HUFF "Great I am lost"**

**I looked around. Something in this hallway looked familiar.**

"**And to top things off, Beast is now chasing after me"**

_Why was he carrying me? He could have just woke me up. Even though I still might have screamed from seeing him._

**Sigh**

"**My luck just doesn't get any better"**

**I thought for a moment on how to run or hide from Beast.**

"**Maybe I should head the other way, but I will still get lost. This place is just too big!"**

**I heard a growl coming closer.**

"**But under the circumstances, I guess I'll just have to take that chance."**

**So I turned and ran even faster when a roar rang throughout the hallway again not too far off, but the roar sounded much more aggravated. By now I would have to tell why I ran faster, a beast chasing you in the last two day, I've had enough.**

"**OH NO!"**

**This hallway; it's the 'West Wing'. I was now terrified once again as I remembered that night when I was first in the castle and since it had only been a day the pain was still fresh.**

"**No…no this can't be happening again!"**

**Fresh tears were now running down my face.**

"_You will stay and never leave" That dark voice said…_

"_I will never let you go…Rose." Running… through the snow, seeing the figure…cutting my side…crying…"Rose is you wish to live my best advice would be that you come with me"… "No" I said weakly…seeing his face…the Beast_

**I heard larger footsteps coming this way; I turned around and ran the opposite way. I saw a door not too far away.**

"**I can wait in here until he goes…"**

**My voice died off as I noticed where I was as soon as I shut the door. It was a dungeon. **

**Doors were lined up along walls, old and damp looking. Inside of the cells were piles of hay that looked just about as old as the doors that blocked them. Tremors of fear was the reason I shaking, not because it was chilly.**

_I shouldn't be here! Lumiere said to me earlier that besides the West Wing, the dungeons are one of the other areas that no one is ever supposed to enter. If he catches me in here I'll surly be in trouble, and since this is next to the West Wing I'll be in even more trouble_

**Right as my thoughts ended I heard the entrance door open and two blue angry eyes shown through the darkness. Before Beast could say anything I blurted out before I lost my nerve,**

"**I'M SORRY! I didn't mean to scream in your ear, I was startled. I'm also sorry for running away from you and going in here!"**

**I was gasping for breath from the run and the fact that I felt like I couldn't breathe in such a cold area. Beast stepped into the Dungeons candle light and said,**

"**Why did you come in here in the first place?"**

**His voice had a little anger in it, but only a little. This was the part I didn't want to tell him about.**

"**I…When I ran away, I accidentally ran into the West Wing."**

**Beast was going to say something but I cut him off again,**

"**So I ran the other way so you wouldn't get angry at me for going near the room with the glowing rose. I'm sorry."**

**When I finished telling him I was looking at the blurry floor so I wouldn't see his angry eyes. He surprised me by his tone of voice when spoke up once more.**

"**No Rose, I should be the one apologizing."**


	14. Mood Swings

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Mood Swings**

**(Beast POV)**

**I sighed. She was still terrified of me, and I couldn't blame her. I scared her, caused her to get cut, and scared her once more by yelling at her.**

"**I shouldn't have yelled at you and frightened you yesterday. But you shouldn't have been in the West Wing."**

**I looked at her. She no longer looked as though she was going cry, but she looked up at me and said,**

"**I…I remembered Lumiere saying that the dungeons were off limits, and Mrs. Potts warned me of the West Wing but I just wanted to thank you for. . ."**

**She stopped and then said in a low whisper,**

"**For bringing me here and saving my life from the wolves."**

**I smiled a toothy smile.**

_You don't have to thank me. I still don't want you to stay here by force but…__**Keep her here**____What? I shouldn't even listen to you. Looked at what you did to Rose. __**It doesn't matter; she was disobeying you, no us! And she deserved it. Anyway you heard me keep her here and make her stay with you. She was on our land and so now she is our prisoner! **__No____ I wouldn't…I can't …_

**The beast side of me was arguing and its rage won. Even though I tried to push its thoughts away, they just kept coming back stronger.**

"**You are going to be punished!" I blurted, the beast eager to cause fear once more into the heart of the only one I truly ever care about.**

"**And as for disobeying me you will be punished even more."**

"**W-what!" **

**Rose stammered, confused at the change of tone coming from Beast.**

**I laughed, I had already lost the human side of me and was now back into my beast side, a side that ignoring the screams coming from inside of its head begging for me to stop.**

"**You heard me. I commanded you to stay in this castle with me, and you left. You will never be allowed to leave this castle. To this day you belong to me. You were on my property when I found you, and so therefore you are my PRISONER! And my PROPERTY!"**

**She started backing up,**

"**No…no I will never stay with you and I will surely never be YOURS! You sound just like a man from my village!"**

**I lunged at her, my temper raging. She turned to run but I grabbed her arm and her waist and made her face me. She was in even more tears because of her side; the wound was reopened and bleeding. Her other arm reached down and she was gripping the cut, her blood was dripping from between her fingers. More salty tears were running down her face again.**


	15. Calling Master

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Calling Master**

**(Rose POV)**

"**Owwwwwww! Let me go, it hurts!"**

**My side was bleeding again because of Beast, his claws reopening it when he grabbed my waist and the Beast was in rage because I wouldn't obey him. **

**The beast was growling when I tried once more to run away by yelling at him, except this time my yelling didn't work. He looked at me once more with those blue eyes and then he stopped growling and looked me in the eyes. Part of him showing guilt when he saw my new tears. I turned my head so I wouldn't have to look at him, then he whispered into my ear.**

"**While you are in my castle you will call me Master and nothing else. Do I make myself clear Rose?"**

**I refused to answer him but when I felt his grip on my arm and waist harden I nodded. He then growled for some unknown reason.**

"**I didn't quite understand that nod Rose, now I'll ask again. Do I make myself clear ROSE?"**

**I cleared my throat, and said,**

"**Yes…Master."**

**He let go of my arm and released my waist then told me to follow him.**

"**Your wound is opened up again; you need to get your side bandaged. Okay Rose?" I stared at the dungeon surroundings, anywhere else was better than looking at him.**

**When I didn't answer his question for a while, I could feel him look at me. Not with rage but with guilt and sorrow.**

_Why does he look at me like that? He is the one who caused my arm to reopen, so why do I feel sad as well? There is one thing that I can see behind all his rage, its sadness and loneliness. I wish I could at least know where my father was a, then it wouldn't make staying here so bad. And at least it would be one less thing to worry about._

'**Father'**

**That was the one reason I came in the woods, was to find my father. That was how it all started, looking for my father, back when everything was normal and I was with Calostire. Now those days are just a memory, and great happy memory.**

**Master and I finally reached the room where he first bandaged my arm.**

"**Sit here and Mrs. Potts will be here to assist you"**

**He pointed to the couch, where I first got my side bandaged, with a clawed hand. So I sat and clenched my side when I felt the arm of the chair rub against it.**

"**Master. . .may I read while I wait?"**

**I asked as I saw the books on the shelves above the fire place. Even after all that had happened, I just couldn't resist reading. He frowned at first but then smirked one of his toothy grins.**

"**Yes, you may read while you wait. You are allowed to read whatever you please."**

**I was surprised by his sudden response and tone, suspecting he would yell at me and refuse me to read let alone touch anything. But I smiled at him the way I smiled at Calostire when I first met him**

"**Thank you Master"**

**He nodded and left the room, his cloak rustling as he quickly left.**

**Mrs. Potts came a little later with the bandages. She asked how it reopened again, but I told her that I didn't want to talk about it right now. But ever since I was in the dungeon, I've had this question on my mind.**

"**Umm, Mrs. Potts, I have question to ask you."**

**She looked up at me and said,**

"**What is it dear?"**

**I winced as the coat holder was tying a new warm bandage around my side and waist; I shrugged it off and asked,**

"**Why is your Master the way he is? How did you all get turned into this? And why-."**

**I was cut off when Mrs. Potts started laughing.**

"**Slow down dear, all of your question will be answered, but I'm afraid I can't answer them."**

**She then stopped and called for Lumiere and Cogsworth. I smiled at them as they walked in. The last time I saw them I was leaving the castle.**

"**Lumiere, Cogsworth I would like you to assist Rose with her questions. I am afraid I can't because of the kitchen massacre with Monsieur Le Fae De Cronte. He was trying to cook a flambeau when some of the silver wear made it droop. So now Le Fae is throwing his pots and pans at them and even tempted to throw a few into his oven."**

**Lumiere made his ravishing smile. "But of course Mrs. Potts, I will gladly answer Roses questions"**

**He then looked at me and gave me the same smile. Cogsworth, on the other hand was not pleased that Lumiere was there in the same room with him.**

"**I wouldn't count on you Lumiere," He said in a sarcastic voice,**

"**You wouldn't even be able to answer even one of her questions. And if you answer question like you light candles, then I must say she will be aghast and disappointed."**

**The candelabra turned to the clock,**

"**And why would you say that you pompous, overchubbed, ticking piece of wood?"**

**The two took a while insulting each other. Lumiere and Cogsworth then got into a fight about who could answer my questions and who couldn't, when finally Mrs. Potts yelled at them to stop and they obeyed, I guess it was because her being a mother so long. Given that authority tone. She looked at me and in an apologetic look.**

"**There you go Rose; if you need anything else ask these two and if they give you any trouble just threaten to go and get me."**

**I giggled and nodded. All of the little tea cups that helped Mrs. Potts serve tea, turned and left along with her. But her little boy, whom I just met, stayed behind.**

**Chip, Mrs. Potts little boy, looked at Lumiere and Cogsworth. He was still laughing because the two were now silently yelling at each other. Then he turned to me and asked, "Rose how come you always are hurt and getting bandages?"**

**I looked at the little boy. He knew nothing of how cruel Master could be, and he shouldn't. Even though Master hurt me, I couldn't see him hurting little Chip.**

"**I'm such a klutz sometimes Chip. That's why. Ill fall or trip almost everywhere! You should see because-**

"**Rose then why are there always claw marks on you? Falling doesn't do that…Also, you're always crying. Master is always with you whenever you're hurt. Did he do that to you?"**

**What could I tell him? I didn't want him to be afraid of Master they way I was. He was too young and did deserve the fear that I had to go through.**

"**No Chip, Master…he…it's just an accident. Ok?"**

**Chip nodded, although I could tell that he still didn't believe me. It's something about children where they can always notice things that would make them curious, but would repulse them if they knew the truth.**

**Lumiere and Cogsworth had now moved their argument out of the Resting Room, and into the hallway, where once again their voices rang.**

"**I'll talk to you later Chip!" I yelled as I ran off to Lumiere and Cogsworth before the tears came back.**

_This is going to be a long day, a long day indeed._


	16. Plans and Problems

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Plans and Problems**

**(Gaston POV)**

**Four days, it has been four days since I sent Lofu to Roses house telling him to tell her that her father went into the woods. The whole plan was for me to go into the woods with her father, who would then seemed '**_persuaded'_** that I was to be the right man to marry since I was putting such an effort to find his daughter. But I went into the woods several times and not one have I seen Rose.**

**I turned to Lofu in my armchair at the bar,**

"**Lofu, are you positive that she went into the woods?"**

**He nodded, sweating again since this was the third time I had asked him. Each one was getting more and more vicious. **

"**I'm positive. I saw her run straight into the woods right after she told me to go and get you."**

**I was furious. My perfect plan, the one I had planned for a while, ruined. Lofu and I were at the pub while we were discussing what to do.**

"**The old man is at home still trying to find out why his daughter would go in the woods in the first place, so we don't have to worry about him for a while. Plus, he's got enough problems trying to find a way to find her as well. He won't be a problem for a while. So why don't we just settle this over a drink?"**

**I punched Lofu over the head,**

"**You nit-wit, I wanted to marry Rose sooner, not later. I need to find her and quickly. But where could she have gone?"**

**I looked at Lofu,**

"**You didn't tell anyone about our plan did you?"**

**He laughed.**

"**Of course not Gaston." **

**I looked at the window not liking what I was seeing.**

**A blizzard was blowing and if Rose was in that storm then I will have no wife to marry. Of course there were other women in the village, like the triplets. But Rose was the only one who was as beautiful as me. I had plans for my future, but Rose was sometimes different and not like the other women in the village and this bothered me very much. Women are not supposed to read like she does, cause then they get ideas…and you get weird looks from the other villagers. That would not be good for my reputation, and the last thing I want was for a wife to get attention other than her looks. I would be called the loons husband.**

"**Lofu, tomorrow you will search all other this damn village until Rose shows up. UNDERSTOOD?"**

"**Y…Yeah Gas…ton."**

**With that all said and done I helped myself to another beer while Lofu sang about how great I am.**


	17. The Question

**Chapter Seventeen**

**The Question**

**(Rose POV)**

**The two finally stopped arguing after what seemed like an eternity.**

"**So mademoiselle. What are the questions you have wanted to ask?" Lumiere said.**

**I looked down at him.**

"**Well I have wanted to find out about how you, the castle, and Master all became like this."**

**Cogsworth was the one who responded, kindly, but with a firm tone,**

"**Rose, we dare not speak of the day when we became like this. Master forbade us to, because it brings pain to him. You see the day it happened everything has been, oh how shall I say it, chaotic . Master seemed even more enraged and sad then any of us has seen him."**

**I sighed. Clearly I was going to have to ask Master himself.**

"**Thank you both for your help. Oh! Do any of you know where Master is?"**

**Both of them exchanged questioning glances,**

"**He is outside in the gardens. Why?"**


	18. Asking Master Himself

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Asking Master Himself**

**(Beast POV)**

**I heard footsteps coming behind me, they were soft, but I could hear them nonetheless. Unaware of who I footsteps belonged to I whipped around, only to find Rose. She was wearing a thick green cloak that came from the wardrobe woman in her room along with a dress that matched underneath. The cloak made me stare, her eyes seemed like they were the forest itself during spring. It has been several days since the dungeon incident. She was looking better every day compared to when I first brought her here, but thanks to me her arm was still hurt and her side was still injured, but it was newly bandaged. I had decided many days ago that for hurting Roses arm and waist that that was punishment enough.**

"**What are you doing out here? Are you not supposed to stay inside!?" I growled at her, but I wasn't truly mad at her. Actually I enjoyed her company.**

**She looked up at me with those emerald eyes.**

"**I just came to talk to you, not to run away. Is that so wrong?" she said in a hurt tone.**

**I stood looking at her, until I finally gave in.**

"**As long you are not here to run away then you are allowed outside. But," I pointed out. "If I am not outside alongside you then you must stay inside, is that clear?"**

**She nodded, clearly pleased. It made my anger melt away when I saw her happy instead of crying or afraid around me.**

"**Yes Master, I will only come outside if you are outside!"**

**We walked over to a stone bench, which was frozen due to the snow, and sat down for a while.**

**I looked down at Rose.**

"**What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"**

**She looked down at the ground. I could tell by her face that she was afraid of her question and yet she looked like she had to get something off her shoulders,**

"**I wanted to ask you how you became the way you are. I tried asking Lumiere and Cogsworth but they said that only you would answer the question."**

**Somehow I knew that she would ask this particular question sooner or later. It's not every day you come across a beast in an enchanted castle.**

**I sighed, the memories still fresh in my mind as if it were yesterday that my whole kingdom was changed into this castle of dread.**

"**It all started when I was young. I was the prince in this castle and to all who served in the castle. Despite my age, I was also harsh and cruel to those around me, not caring about anyone but myself. All of this started and became this way after my parents died. It made me angry that they left me alone and without them, so no one ever dared discipline me. So I thought that I ruled everything.**

**One winter's night an old woman came to my castle, asking for shelter from the cold along with some food. I denied her saying that I wouldn't send such an ugly creature into my home. After I slammed the door on her, she turned into an enchantress. She changed me into this…this. Saying that I had to-" I stopped and looked at her. She was looking at the snow at her feet with a sad expression, understanding what came next. I didn't want her to know about the rose's part in the enchantment, it would only make her feel like this creature loved her. I couldn't bear the thought of what she might say if she found out I loved her. I wouldn't be able to live any longer if she rejected me, my life would wear away and all hope would be lost.**

**She then wiped her eyes before tears showed. I could tell that she was trying to be strong about it, and it confused me because it should be me feeling dreadful not her.**

"**Let's play a game Master. So that you don't have to feel so sad all the time." She said suddenly and enthusiastically.**

**I stood up,**

"**A game? Princes don't play games."**

**I turned around and looked away from her. This sudden urge came onto me that wanted me to accept her offer. I closed my eyes and sighed to myself.**

_She just wants to play a game with her, what is so wrong with that?__**It's childish! She is a young girl and we are grown men! We do not play petty games, and since when do Masters play with possessions?**__You're wrong, for one she is not a girl, she is a woman, and two, and she is not a poss-…she is her own being! Rose is a human. __**Ah, Rose may be a woman and a human, but she is still ours.**_

**I won the battle that time; the beast had no control when it came to times when I was calm and happy. After a few moments I peeked through one of my eyes. She was gone!**

"**Rose!" I shouted, fearing she ran off again.**

**I heard footsteps behind me again, and as I turned around the next thing I knew a sudden coldness stung my face. A snow ball had hit me!**

"**Got you Master, you're it." She laughed at my awestruck expression.**

**She laughed even harder when I was wiping the snow off of my face with my clawed hand. I looked at her first with anger rising, but then, I laughed remembering that she was only playing.**

"**It seems as though this prince will play a few games."**


	19. Surprise

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Surprise**

**(Rose POV)**

**I don't know how long Master and I played outside. To me it seemed too short, but I didn't care. It seem forever since I had never felt so happy in my life. I know now that Master can be cruel sometimes, but it's because his life has been full of pain and sadness. For some reason, I wanted to make Master smile and be happy, almost as if I was meant to.**

**That day we had so much fun. First we threw snowballs at each other, then we made snow angels. Of course Masters looked a bit funny, but he laughed at it, saying how the comparison was just a 'bit' off. We ice skated, or Master did while holding onto me. His claws on his feet proved to be great skates. After we finished skating, we just laid down in the snow, and relaxed.**

**I looked over at Master. He was smiling to, even though he found it hard to do at first because of his form, but it was also like it was something he never did in his life.**

"**See Master playing games does take away the sadness."**

**He looked over at me and laughed, his laugh always reminded me of thunder, strong and powerful.**

"**Yes the sadness has gone away. It has been such a long time since I had so much…fun. All my life it's all ways been about composure, the kingdom, or other things."**

**I smiled. It made me glad that I was the first one that made Master happy in such a long time. All of a sudden I felt faint again like when I was in the woods.**

"**Master…I…feel, funny" **

**Master noticed.**

"**Rose? Rose what's wrong?"**

**Then I felt darkness overcome me. All I saw was Master getting up and running towards me with a, how shall I say it, worry in his eyes.**

**I opened my eyes slowly, and found myself in the Masters Resting Room again where he first bandaged my arm.**

"**Master?" I said very sleepily.**

**Neither Master nor anyone else was to be seen, but when I was just about to get up I heard the door open and a voice that was very familiar came into the room.**

"**Rose are you all right?" Master said as he walked beside me.**

**I nodded and tried to get up,**

"**Yes, I think so. What happened?"**

**He grabbed me gently and made me lay back against the armrest.**

"**You were fine after the game in the snow, but then you looked dizzy and you fainted."**

**I nodded, my head was spinning. The last thing I remember seeing was Master.**

"**So, how did I get up to the castle?"**

**This time Master looked as though he was…shy or a little embarrassed to say the answer.**

"**I had to carry you up to the castle; otherwise you would have frozen to death."**

**I blushed.**

_He really does care_

"**Master, since it is too cold to go outside then maybe we could do something inside?"**

**He shook his head.**

"**No Rose you are too weak to do anything right now! I don't want you getting even worse than you already are."**

**I laughed. He didn't get it that you could do other things besides physical stuff like running, or messing around. But other stuff like draw or-**

"**Master, I didn't mean that we had to play another game, I meant something calm to do, like draw or something else."**

**Master seemed to get what I was talking about and smiled after a few moments of silence.**

"**Rose, do you like to read?"**

**I knew immediately what he was thinking.**

"**Yes! I love to read, why?"**

**He laughed supposedly at my enthusiasm, making me blush for some odd reason.**

_I remember, I used to act the same way whenever Calostire would laugh at my jokes or something I did. Why am I acting this way? It's like…I don't know, like somehow Master is another Calostire. That's silly. Master is Master and Calostire is Calostire._

"**If you like to read then I have a surprise for you. I can show you it if you like?"**

**I pretended to think about it for a while.**

**When I 'supposedly' made up my mind I tried to get up, but ended up on the floor.**

**Master chuckled, amused at my effort.**

**I blushed in embarrassment for the fourth time today.**

"**Rose, maybe I should carry you?"**

**I looked at him and smiled.**

"**Yes please Master."**


	20. Wow

**Chapter Twenty**

**WOW!**

**(Beast POV)**

**Rose seemed happy, happier than I have seen her for a long time. She didn't seem to mind me carrying her. Although she did blush again when I scooped her from the floor. It seemed that's all she ever did around me, blush.**

_She used to do the same thing when I was human. It's odd that she would still act the same just a little bit around me for the way I look now. I wonder if she ever thought that she is doing the same thing too. That's crazy…she wouldn't think about me and Calostire ever acting the same. I'm a beast and the old me was human._

"**Where are we going Master?" Rose asked just as I finished my thoughts. She had never been to this part of the castle, so I could understand her being confused.**

"**It's a surprise Rose. I won't tell you, till I find the time right." I then looked down at her. She was examining everything we passed, but after a while she and I made small talk about things that have happened when we weren't around or about things that pertained the servants. It seemed that Rose always had a soft spot for three of my most trusted servants, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts. She told me about how she first met them and how she found it very amusing that Cogsworth and Lumiere were always fighting. I told her that they had always fought, even when I was younger, but they truly care about each other. After all, we were all we had left as a family**

**When Rose would be silent for a while, I would think about the time when I first came to this side of the castle. This side of the castle was a place my father showed me before he died. I used to go for peace and quiet, especially when I was human. When I grew tired of the servants crowding around me, I would go to the one place I could get away from it all.**

**A few minutes later Rose and I arrived at our destination. I gently put her on her feet so she could walk on her own for at least a little while. If she got wobbly again then I wouldn't hesitate to pick her up once more.**

"**Rose, before you come inside I want you to close your eyes. Oh and Rose?" she looked up at me,**

"**Yes Master?" she looked at me confused.**

"**You must promise never to tell the servants about this place. When this castle was built my father wanted a place that he could go to without being disturbed, so he never showed anyone till I was older and he passed on. He left this room to me as his assign. I have kept up the secret of this room. Will you?"**

**She didn't wait long to answer and I already knew what her answer would be. This was one of the things that I loved about her, Rose and I enjoyed peace and quiet. I left her standing by the wall, while I went to open the door to my sanctuary. She closed her eyes when I went to a door. I told her no peaking as I led her through the doors, her eyes still closed. Then I said, "Now open them."**

"**Wow!" was all Rose said as I escorted her to the center of the room and inside my Library. It was the biggest Library in the entire kingdom. It was where father and I would go if we didn't want to be disturbed by the servants, and by showing Rose this place I was showing that I trusted her. I looked at Rose she was looking in awe at the giant assortment of books from all over the world.**

"**Master…You're allowing me into a room that only you and your father only knew about?" she asked, still astounded from the size of the types of books.**

**I nodded, "I trust you Rose, and since you love to read, you may use this room whenever you like, it's yours."**

**She looked at me with a giant smile on her face.**

"**Master, how can I ever thank you? This is the best gift I have ever gotten." I chuckled.**

"**No thanks are necessary."**


	21. Whats Mine Is Yours

**Chapter Twenty one**

**What's Mine Is Yours**

**(Rose POV)**

**I have never seen so many books in my life. Rows and rows of books covered the walls of the room, pictures and furniture made the room cozy. There were shelves that reached all the way to the high ceiling, not one even slightly empty. I now know why Master would want to keep this place a secret, and why he calls it a sanctuary. I looked over at Master. He was looking at the books as if all of the memories of the past were in this room, flooding back to him.**

"**Master have you read all of these books?"**

**He came out of his trance.**

"**No…although I have read many of them, I am afraid I am not even close to reading every book in this library. My father tried but he too did not read them all." She nodded.**

"**Did your mother ever come here?"**

**He seemed to have to think for a moment, his features on his face showing that he had to think about it.**

"**No. My mother didn't like that father and I came in here so often. She wanted me to do other things that princes did. I often practiced horseback riding our strategic methods just in case a war were to come upon the kingdom, but besides that, this place was where I would be." Master was silent for a while. And since I couldn't hold in my excitement anymore I asked,**

"**Master do you mind if I look at some of the books?" he nodded,**

"**Yes. I told you, you can look at any book in this library, you don't have to ask. What's mine is yours in whatever is in this library"**

**With that I ran off to the nearest shelf.**


	22. Still Waiting

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Still Waiting**

**(Gaston POV)**

"**Gaston, I have been here for almost a week now where is Rose? I have gone into the woods with you every day, is there nothing else you can do?"**

**I sighed; the day that Lofu told the old geezer that Rose ran into the woods, I came to him first thing looking for Rose, that my plan would be made easier. Although my first intentions were to lock the old man away in the asylum. I found that if I locked Maurice in there, it would be a huge flaw in my plan.**

"**Listen Maurice. Lofu told me Rose ran into the woods for some reason. I am trying my best to find her." It was true. Every day the old man and I go into the woods looking for my soon-to-be-wife. And every day we come back without her.**

"**I even sent Lofu in the village beside us to look for her."**

**Things were getting out of hand. Sooner or later the loon was going to find out that something was up and that I am not the best suitor for Rose.**

"**I don't understand. When Rose was little I always told her to stay away from those con founded woods. I don't see why she would choose to go in them now?"**

**I looked at Maurice, then to Lofu, and then back at Maurice.**

"**Look old man, I don't know why Rose went into the woods. But I am certain I will find her; wouldn't that make me a perfect husband? I mean after all I am putting my heart and soul into finding her. And Maurice, since we're talking about her, does Rose have anyone she is planning to wed yet?"**

**The old man had a dumbfounded look on his face from the sudden subject change.**

"**Uh… well um, she did like this man named Calostire. I met him once when he carried Rose home-." I cut him off.**

"**WHAT! That man from the village! She can't like him; she is supposed to love me not that infernal blue eyed man with his brown hair! Look at me; I am the most handsome, strong, good looking guy around. With my brown eyes, black hair, and giant apex. I will have Roses hand in marriage!"**

**I then jumped out of my seat and tromped outside from the bar that I and the old loon were sitting in. He didn't get up after me seeing as I was in no mood to talk any longer.**

"**I will get Rose, and she will be mine. Whether she likes it or not I will have her be my wife."**

**I said to myself as I head towards my home in the blistering cold. Lofu trailed after me, not saying a word knowing that I would beat him to a pulp if he did.**


	23. Reading Next to the Fire

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**Reading Next to the Fire**

**(Beast POV)**

"**Look Master!" Rose said as she found something interesting in yet another book from the library.**

**It has been two weeks since I showed Rose this room, and ever since then it become a daily thing that we would come into the Library and read. She would choose the book, then she would read it out loud until she either fell asleep, or announced that she was going to bed because it was late. I would always chuckle though, because she would go to bed so late because she wanted to finish the chapter, page, section, anything.**

**Actually, ever since I showed Rose this room, we somehow have gotten closer than I would have ever imagined. We ate tighter during dinner, we went outside to either play with snowballs again, or we just found something else that we hadn't done yet.**

**But now, we had just finished dinner and Rose insisted that we got to the Library right away. I didn't mind though, anything she wanted to do, I would want to do it too.**

"**This one tells about a dragon who had all the treasures from kingdoms all over the country but he never spent it, he just hoarded it until a hero came to slay the dragon and gave it all of the money to the poor villagers who didn't have enough to buy food."**

**I smiled. I enjoyed when Rose told me her stories about the books she liked, it reminded me of when me and her sat at the village fountain and read a story we both liked.**

"**Master?" she said shyly, "is it okay if I read with you?" For some reason, she always blushed every time she asked if she could read with me. Even though we had been doing it for a while. **

**She was now standing beside me, he eyes downcast and a blush creeping up on her face. I nodded and led her over to the fireplace that was lit in the giant library. She found a book she wanted and walked over to me. Not even looking at the title, I already knew that the book that she chose was in the village book store. I personally went to the book owner and bought it for her after the first day I met her. I wanted to give it to her as a gift but I didn't know that after that day I was to stay a beast all day and night.**

"**What book did you find this time?" She didn't even have to look at the book.**

"**It's called 'The Silver Heart'; I used to read this book in the village all the time." I nodded, just as I guessed. "What's it about?"**


	24. Same Thing in Common

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Same Thing in Common**

**(Rose POV)**

**I never would have guessed that Master would have liked the type of books that I liked. In fact all of the books that I looked at in the Library all seemed to be ones that I would have liked to read sometime. It seemed that every time I found a book, it was something I would have read back home. **

**But one book that I found really seemed to spark his interest; it was 'The Silver Heart', one of my favorite books. I don't know how Master got it but I was really happy that Master seemed interested in it also. I guess that we have the same thing in common when it comes to books.**

"**It's about a girl who hopes for her true love to find her in a castle, guarded by a ferocious king who will never let her leave. But one day a knight that came from a far land. The king's land and the knights' lands were enemies, and the girl was the knights' love. The brave knights made his way to the castle through many other knights and fought them with all his might. He then rode to where his true love was at. He defeated the evil king and made his way up to the dungeon where he found the locked away princess. She was grateful to him and as they left the castle where she was kept away for so long he pronounced his love for her. He promised to keep her safe always and to always look after with love and care. After a while the knight asked the girl to marry him and to be with him forever. Of course she accepted. Then they lived happily ever after. Of course, it has a lot more detail, but I guess that just sums it all up." **

**I knew that maybe he would think me odd for liking this story so much, but as I looked at him he had a smile on his face showing that he too thought the story sounded good.**

"**So, should we start reading Rose?" he asked me.**

**I nodded and began with the first chapter,**

"**Once upon a time…"**


	25. Late Night

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Late Night**

**(Beast POV)**

**It was growing late and I noticed that Roses reading was becoming more sluggish and her eyes were closing more often.**

"**Rose" I said in a mere whisper, "I think it's time for you to get some rest. You haven't slept that well for a few days. Maybe going to bed early tonight will be better for you."**

**She looked up at me with her emerald eyes and blinked a little,**

"**Can't I just read a little more? Please Master? It's just getting to the good part. The knight finally reaches the castle and is trying to-"**

**I shook my head; she was so persistent when it came to reading.**

"**NO!"**

**I saw her shake a little when I yelled and I immediately regretted it because she then stood up, brushed off her dress, and looked at me sadly.**

"**Yes Master."**

**She walked to the door slowly, leaving the library, as she left she turned to me,**

"**Good night Master."**

**I stood up, thinking about apologizing. But I knew that she wasn't in the mood for talking right now after I had just yelled at her.**

_Damn. Why did I yell at her? All she wanted to do was read a little longer and I couldn't even let her do that._

_**You're going soft Beast. Keep this up and you may even let her go outside by herself!**_

_I have a name and you know that! And why shouldn't I let her go by herself?_

_**Do **__**you seriously think that if you gave her the chance to go out there that she won't try and run away? She hates it here and she hates you!**_

"**SILENCE!" I yelled. All of a sudden I heard my voice echo throughout the library.**

_**You see that? You are alone. She will never learn to love a monster; you will stay the Beast that you are!**_

**I stood up. I couldn't take the pestering from the other side of me. But as I was heading to the entrance of the Library I looked back and said to myself,**

"**I…I can't be alone. As long as she is here I have hope."**

_**You may think so Beast. But I can tell you that you are right, you're not alone. I'm here with you and I will never leave, even if you wanted me to. Hahahahaha!**_

**I left my sanctuary, slamming the door as I left. The fire flickered; never going out till all of the wood would be burnt to ash.**


	26. Sleep Tight

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**Sleep Tight**

**(Rose POV)**

**I walked all the way down the hallway from the Library that Master had shown me. Master was right about me being tired, the day went by fast and I didn't eat all day because I was too caught up reading. A few minutes later I came to a hallway with four different ways to go.**

"**Uh oh. Now where do I go?"**

**I looked at every single hall and they all looked the same, dark with candles lighting up the dark purple walls that surrounded me with growing darkness. Usually some of the servants were around, and I could just ask them for help. But since it was so late, all of them were asleep.**

"**Great, no one ever goes down here except Master. Maybe I should go back and ask him which way my room is…on the other hand if I'm lost, and if he's going the right way, then I'll just get even more lost. Plus I don't want to upset him any more than I have. So I guess I'll just have to find my own way back to my room." I sighed.**

**That was easier said than done because as soon as I started walking I knew it was going to be a long walk. Thanks to my reading, I was so tired I could barely see ahead of me. After what seemed like hours, I thought,**

'**I must be close to my room' when I met yet another hallway like the one before.'**

"**There is no way, this can't be happening" I sighed, I have to be near. I walked up to a door.**

"**This may be it. I hope."**

**I opened it only to find a room that looked as though it was long forgotten, something that was once treasured, but then left. The rest of the room was plain and dusty with nothing interesting what so ever. Although, I could imagine that this room was once very beautiful looking, and anyone that had stayed in it would be treated like royalty should. **

**The fireplace looked as though it contained more dust than ash, and an ancient red couch with elegant designs on it, but due to the lack of attention, its designs looked old. The bed looked so old that I thought that I might break it if I lay on it. But the couch itself that laid in the center of the room still looked sturdy, comfy and inviting.**

"**Well since I can't find my room, this will have to do." I mumbled while walking up to the couch. **

**As soon as I laid my head on the armrest I was fast asleep.**

"_Calostire?" I whispered._

_A tall man, with long light brown hair and a bulk figure, was standing in front of me. It was Calostire, and he was smiling and looking down at me. _

_As I looked around a smile reached across my face. I was back in the village. I looked around, everything is the same the bookstore, the fountain, and even the smell and noises were the same._

_I heard my name being said in such a soft voice that I almost didn't hear it._

"_Rose? Rose! I am so glad your back, I missed you so much. I didn't know what happened to you and I was so worried."_

_I smiled. Calostire was looking at me with those deep, dark blue eyes. I ran up to him and gave him a warming hug. He returned it so warming and loving that I felt like my world would crumble if he were to let go. I missed him so much, and I never wanted to be anywhere else but with him._

"_Rose don't cry. I'm here." Calostire stroked the tears off of my face. I didn't even know I was crying._

"_I missed you too Calostire. I missed you so much. You'll never believe what happened to me…" my voice drifted away as Calostire leaned into me._

_I felt him kiss me again the same warming kiss that he first gave me on the hill, and as I stepped away from his kiss to smile warmly at him again, then something changed. All of a sudden those eyes didn't belong to Calostire anymore. _

_No, the eyes belonged to Beast, to Master._

"_Master!" I looked around._

"_Master what are you doing here? And what did you do with Calostire?"_

_I whipped my head around looking franticly for the someone who was just smiling at me._

"_Calostire where are you, where did you go?"_

_Master started laughing a cruel laugh._

"_Calostire? That human, is gone. You will never see him again! Don't you remember? You will be with me forever, not that pathetic human. After all, you belong to me. You are never to see him again, not that you will anyway. You're staying at the castle, and are staying with me till the ends of time. I've got you now and I'll never let you go."_

_His voice changed and the volume lowered, it was no longer cruel but soft, the voice sounded like it belonged to Calostire but the words were coming out of Masters mouth. His voice was the way it was now, after I got to know him a little._

"_No, that's not true. You don't belong to me; you are your own person. No one should ever be held against their will. Its just that I've been alone for so long, and someone as beautiful as you, treats me with kindness and caring even though I don't deserve and of it. That's why you can't leave Rose, without you I don't know what I would do. You must stay Rose, you are my last hope. I can't lose you."_

_I was back in the castle, but no one but Master and I were in it. I was crying again. I felt that I would be able to see Calostire again, instead Master was with me._

_I flinched when Master walked up to me and wiped my tears off my face, just like Calostire did a few moments ago._

_Master was looking at me with such hurt eyes that I thought I would be punished for talking about Calostire in front of him. I know what pain he had been through and I know that he couldn't afford to be alone. And over the weeks that I've been with him, I knew also that he cared for me, and I for him. But I also cared for Calostire. _

_I was so confused…_

_His touch was gentle and it startled me again. And I felt a clawed hand grab me from under my chin, making me look at Master and his blue eyes._

"_Rose, I lo-_."


	27. Fear and Shame

_**Chapter Twenty Seven**_

_**Fear and Shame**_

**(Beast POV)**

**I walked up to Roses bedroom door; I wanted to apologize for yelling at her. I knocked;**

"**Rose?" **

**No one answered the door. I knocked once more,**

"**Rose are you in there?"**

**This time I got an answer but it was not Roses voice, but the wardrobe woman's.**

"**I'm sorry Master, but she is not in her room. She never came back from when you and she went for a walk."**

**I couldn't believe it. I opened the door and entered Roses room. The wardrobe woman was right; the bed was still neat and made from the servants work. Her room, I never noticed before but it had her smell. The smell of roses.**

_Funny how her name evenly matched everything about her. Like the rose, she is beautiful and strong at the same time, and how she is so simple and yet so beautiful._

**Thinking about her reminded me of why I was here in the first place.**

**I turned to the wardrobe woman whose name was Ms. Patrice**

"**She never came back?"**

**The wardrobe woman looked at me sadly.**

"**No sir, she never came back." **

**I left the room quickly not trying to think about where she could have run off to.**

_Rose, where are you?_

_**Hey beast man, didn't I tell you? You've gone soft, and now, since you let your guard down, look at what's happened.**_

_SHUT UP! I am not in the mood to deal with you right now. Not when I can't find Rose ._

_**I'd be mad at you too for yelling at me. All she wanted to do was to read a bit longer. Hehe. And you wouldn't even let her do that. You are very selfish, no wonder she-.**_

_SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I didn't mean to yell at her, she looked tired and I wanted her to get her rest. Is that so wrong? Besides, where would she go that I wouldn't know about?_

_**Oh I don't know, how about the woods?**_

"**No!" **

**I dashed to the front entrance on all four paws, going as quickly as I could possibly run.**

"**Please Rose, please just walk out in front of me and show me that you didn't run away. Do anything please!"**

**But it never happened. Not when I ran down the halls or down the stairs. She didn't show up, and emotions that I never felt before rose up in my heart, fear and shame.**


	28. Axel Riavere

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**Axel Riavere**

**(Rose POV)**

"**Huh? Where am I?"**

**I looked around; a white, calm snow surrounded me, the moon making the snow have a light haze of blue to it. To the left of me were the reason tall shadows that surrounded me. I was outside on the castle grounds near the woods. A shadow appeared not too far ahead of me, the figure blended in with the trees so I wasn't able to make out where they were.**

"**Master?" I whispered.**

**Why would Master drag me outside in this time of night? But no, the voice that spoke was not of Masters voice, but that of an unknown person.**

"**Master? No silly girl, I am not your Master. My name is Axel. Axel Riavere and I am pleased to meet you." The cloaked figure bowed.**

**I nodded, his voice sounded like ringing bells, but with a little depth to it. It was sweet and soft, but it made me feel uneasy.**

"**Um Mister Axel, where is Master?"**

**He laughed.**

"**Do you always have to call him that? No matter. He doesn't know you're out here. And I would like it to stay that way, otherwise things could get messy."**

**He walked up to me, his footsteps crunching in the snow.**

"**What's your name anyway? I never got the chance to ask."**

_Something about his voice. So soft and smooth. No Rose! Shake out of it, he is a complete stranger! Although, he doesn't seem to mean any harm… But why am I outside? How did I get outside? And where is Master? _

_So many questions. _

_But that voice seems too sweet to be cruel. So what harm is it telling him my name and maybe he can tell me why I am out here in the first place._

"**My name is Rose."**

**He chuckled. And for some reason I didn't like that sound. It was as though that evil sound coming out of his mouth, didn't suit him. It turned the soft bells into something bitter and harsh.**

"**Hmmm, Rose" he said to himself. "Only such a beautiful name to match a beautiful woman. Well Rose how about you and I take a walk-." **

**A roar cut through Axels' voice, a roar I knew only too well.**

"**Damn!" Axel yelled.**

**I turned around, only to see Master running towards us not looking too happy.**


	29. Unpleasant Memories

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

**Unpleasant Memories**

**(Axel POV)**

**I found the girl. The one that Calostire or the Beast had taken and fallen in love with. She was sorta tall with emerald eyes and dark brown hair. I thought she was very beautiful, in a simple way. I have seen many women, but none of them could ever compare to her. She had a strong look to her that made me admire her. But I wasn't there to just gawk at the girl like I had been doing for a while. **

**No, I had to take the girl tonight. She was part of a very important plan. A plan that included ruling this land once more.**

**My father and the father before me ruled this land for many years. Then that damned after the Great War that was between the West and East side of France.**

**The odd thing though, was that Calostire and I were once childhood friends. We met each other at the renowned ball that the kings held once every four years just for some peace purpose, and from there we would hang out whenever we could, causing trouble wherever we went. I was only ten then, with still flaming red hair and bright green eyes. My mother said it was such an odd look that it was too cute and Calostire and I would make jokes about how funny each of us looked. The young Calostire was much different then what he should have looked like now, but I heard of the curse that was set upon him years ago. Back then I would have never hurt Calostire or do any of the things I'm about to do, but one day he put our friendship in the past and set war to what land my father was going to give to me.**

**His men, they murdered my family in a fire that his knights set onto our home one night. I was thirteen then. My heart tore as I watched my father and mother die in front of me. Some knights took both of my parents out to the front of the grounds in front of the other knights. With one quick swing their swords cut through them.**

**My mother stared at me the whole time, while my father kept his head high like a king should. **

**My mother shook her head when I tried to come to their aid. It broke my heart when the last thing my parents said were, "**_**Long live King Axel Riavere, the true king of France".**_

**The castle falling upon their dead bodies, and all who once lived with me. Everyone was dead. Servants, maids, and others who had been with me since I was born. While I could do nothing to help them. The only reason I survived was because I was outside playing with my ball. It was at the last second as I came home, that I noticed what hell had happened. The knights, they wore his crest, his mark on their chests with pride of what they had done. I vowed from that day on that I would get my revenge on my old friend and rip out his heart as he did mine.**

**Days ago I came to the castle, astonished at how the place changed, and spied on the residents of the palace. That was when I saw her. I saw a woman and Calostire perched in front of a great entrance of the castle. After they went inside, I followed them from the outside till they reached a small room with a fire place, reading a book from one of the many windows that surrounded the castle. He was smiling as he looked at her, not even noticing what the girl was reading. **

**I finally knew what made his heart happy. **

**It took me a while due to the fact that Calostire, after his parents died, was the most spoiled brat anyone had ever seen. The young prince became that way because of self pity and thought that he was the only one who had ever lost someone in their life. He didn't care about anyone but himself.**

**There was also one more thing I had up my sleeve, literally and it was poking me very badly. Even through the thick cloth I stuck around.**

"**This'll be good. Real good."**

**I snuck inside of the palace through a small window from one of the abandoned rooms. Apparently Calostire had yelled at the girl over her wanting to read just a bit more (he is so uncaring, even to those he says that he cares about). So she left peacefully, but hurt. I stayed in the shadows and followed the girl till she stopped and fell asleep inside of a very dusty room.**

'**This can't be her room.' I thought to myself. I may know of how Calostire became, but I know that he is a gentleman enough to give a girl a proper room.**

'**The way she has that confused look on her face. She must have gotten lost'.**

**I didn't ponder on that though too long. For as soon as she lay on a couch, she fell asleep. I waited an hour to be positively sure that she was sleeping. She started to have tears on her face while she slept.**

"**Poor girl." I muttered.**

**I had to fight the urge to wake her up and rid her of whatever was bothering her. I may have been there to steal her, but I was still a gentleman as well. **

**I silently walked up to the sleeping girl. She almost scared the life out of me when she shifted in her sleep, but I only let out a sigh of relief. Very carefully, I scooped the girl from her resting place and went out the window, like a thief in the night I was. **

**Two of the most precious things to Calostire were in my possession, and it was time he chose between them.**

**As I made my way down the palace walls, the girl had even more tears come from her closed eyes. I wiped them from her eyes this time, smiling at myself.**

"**Keep this up Axel and you'll go soft and the plan will be ruined."**

**Once I was on the ground I set the girl down on the snow to accomplish one part of the plan, but not too soon cause at that moment she awoke.**

"**Huh? Where am I?"**

**Her voice sounded like velvet and made me feel a tinge of guilt for her confusion. As she looked around and realized where she was at, she then whispered as she saw my form.**

"**Master?" I laughed.**

"**Master? No, no silly girl, I am not your Master. My name is Axel. Axel Riavere and I am pleased to you."**

**She made a slight tired nod with her head, her dark brown hair sliding across her face.**

"**Um Mister Axel, where is Master?"**

**I laughed even harder this time. Apparently Calostire made her acknowledge him as her 'Master' instead of his real name. I wonder if she even knew his real name.**

"**Do you always have to call him that? No matter. He doesn't know you're out here. And I would like it to stay that way, otherwise things could get messy."**

**I got tired of standing in the shadows of the trees so I confronted her. As I took off my hood I could see her eyes widen from the odd color of my hair and eyes. Most people gave me that look, as it's not every day a man with flaming red hair shows up. I turned to her and smiled.**

"**What's your name anyway? I never got the chance to ask." I didn't want to keep calling her 'girl'.**

"**My name is Rose" she smiled.**

**I smirked, such a pretty name.**

""**Hmmm, Rose. Only such a beautiful name to match a beautiful woman. Well Rose how about you and I take a walk-." A roar cut me off,**

"**Damn!"**

**Calostire found out that one of his precious roses were missing.**


	30. Old Friends New Enemies

**Chapter Thirty**

**Old Friend's New Enemies**

**(Rose POV)**

**The roar cut out through the night, I already knew it was Master and apparently so did the man named Axel. Axel was tall, or tall in my opinion. He actually looked taller than Gaston, but he was lean and slender, I could see that he had bulk too and was not someone to be taken lightly. The hooded man had taken off the head part of his cloak making his hair look like flames had started on top of his head. Axel looked down at me and I had silently gasped. His eyes were the brightest green I had ever seen! They didn't look cruel or unkind, but I could tell that he didn't want to meet Master and was in a hurry to leave. He grabbed my arm and forced me to rise to my feet.**

"**Sorry Rose but it looks like our introductions were cut short, so if you don't mind I think it's time for us to go."**

**I opened my mouth to protest but Axel slipped a knife next to my neck making me take back my words.**

"**Alright Rose be a good girl and just do as I say."**

**I shook my head in protest. He growled, Master had reached Axel and I.**

"**Rose! There you are! What are you-" Master stopped in mid sentence.**

"**It can't be! Axel!" He said with shock in his tone. I looked up at the flamed haired man.**

"**So nice of you to remember me. Old friend." Axel responded coldly.**

**I could practically see the sarcasm dripping from his tongue. But Master didn't keep all of the attention on Axel, he turned to me.**

"**Rose, are you alright?!" I slightly nodded my head. His eyes were burning with rage, and it frightened me, it is the same look that he gave me in the dungeons when he reopened my wound. **

**It's like he has two different people inside of him. **

**The good side and the raging side.**

"**Axel what are you doing here and what are you doing with Rose? Let her go now and I won't have to harm you!"**

**Somehow I could swear I heard fear in Masters voice and it made my heart ache because it was my fault that I didn't put up a better fight against Axel, and was now the one that Master needed to save again. **

**Weak, that's all I ever was. And I always needed to be saved.**

**Unknowingly, I started to shake from both of the fear of getting cut and the blistering cold.**

**Axel looked down at me.**

"**Oh dear, I forgot to keep her warm." Axel took off his dark black cloak and laid it on me.**

"**There you go Rose! That should keep you warm until we reach the village!" He said it in such a cheery tone that I momentarily forgot the knife next to my neck.**

**Master look dangerously at Axel.**

"**Where do you intend to take Rose?" he roared.**

**Before Axel answered, a liquid bottle came from one of Axels' pockets. He forced my mouth open and made me swallow something very bitter, and it smelled of something foul.**

**Master, seeing my discomfort, looked as though he was going to lunge at Axel, but he seemed to remember the knife at my throat.**

"**We don't want accidents to happen to little Rose now do we? That is if you truly care for her. Or do you care about your other rose more?" Axel said as he was putting the bottle back in one of his many hidden pockets, only to pull out a red withered looking rose from his sleeve.**

**Masters head snapped up from glaring at the ground to Axel with such a fiery glance that I thought that the surrounding ice would melt.**

"**You…? How could you have even known about it? The only people that have known about the rose are Rose and the servants." His voice cracking up. I was even more confused.**

**Axels' eyes seemed to laugh at Masters distress, "Why I found out about it when the rumor about your castle disappearing. Many just believed it to be a story that parents started telling their children, just to get them to go to bed. But, when they mentioned where this 'monster' lived, I knew it was you. **

**Apparently a curse was set upon you for your cruel heart. Though I'm not the least bit surprised, you did turn into the little brat after your parents died."**

**Axels words seem to affect Master in some way, he merely looked down back at the snow in defeat.**

**I remembered! The rose that I almost touched when I first arrived, it was part of the curse on the castle? But what was it for?**

**Both of the men were too caught up in a conversation to notice my confusion that is until Axel glanced at me.**

"**I don't suppose little Rose here knows what the flower is for, now does she? Maybe I should enlighten her…"**

"**NO!" Master roared, "I…I don't want her to know about it yet. Please Axel…don't."**

**Axel seemed to take Masters plea into consideration. But his green eyes looked to the sky as snow started falling at an increasing rate, and the wind picked up.**

"**Listen here 'Master' we will talk about this in the castle since you have disrupted my plans and have made me rearrange things for now."**

**He stopped to shake some snow that was covering his red hair and landing on his nose.**

"**A blizzard is coming and I don't think we won't to be out here when that comes, now do we?"**

**Axels' voice seemed to carry around us, as the wind picked up and swept it by.**

**I saw Master merely nod, looking at the blade at my throat, and then at me. I was scared to death, but somehow I didn't think that Axel would use the knife on me. It was just something to make Master obey. As for Masters sake, I tried to look unnerved but it didn't work. Tears streamed down my face.**

"**I'm sorry Master" was all I could manage to come out of my throat without me breaking out in sobs. Both Axel and Master looked at me sadly. I started to feel odd and tired now, and I know it had something to do with that stuff Axel made me swallow.**

**Both men started walking towards the castle, with me not too far in front. After a couple more steps I almost fell face first into the snow, but thanks to Axel, I was caught before I hit the ground.**

"**Sorry. Forgot, that stuff makes you sleepy." He whispered and then smiled at me like this was all a joke and picked me up bridal style. He felt warm, but not as warm as Master's fur. I could see Master looking at me with concern and jealously as I was carried.**

"**What did you do to her?!" He growled as Axel walked beside him.**

"**I didn't do anything harmful. I just made her swallow a little potion that I bought from a small village. It was supposed to knock her out for a while but-." He looked down at me.**

"**It seems that she is fighting off the drowsiness." He laughed, "She is one tough girl."**

**Master nodded. "Yes. Yes she is."**


	31. The Hope Once Held, Now Gone

**Chapter Thirty One**

**The Hope Once Left Now Gone**

**(Beast POV)**

**We made our way back to my home. The way Rose was asleep in Axels' arms, was making the other side of me feel like I wanted to rip his arms off and take her into my own. Something was holding me back though. She looked so peaceful compared to what she did a few moments ago. Her face when Axel held the knife up to her throat will stay in my mind forever. But something about it made me laugh inside of my mind.**

_That's the exact face she had when she first met me. __**Why in the hell are you thinking about this right now?! Some intruder just comes into our castle, steals our woman, and then holds a knife up to her throat! If you just let me take over-**____NO! I want to talk to him before we do anything rash, plus he still has Rose and the flower, and I don't want either harmed. __**Fine. We wait till he puts her down, then we pull out our claws! **__If he tries anything that will harm Rose or something I don't like, then yes. We pull out our claws._

"**So… 'Master' where shall I set dear Rose?"**

**Axel asked as we entered through the castle entrance.**

**I turned to face him; his eyes and hair were still the same from when we were young. But something about him had an angry presence and it made me feel a bit threatened. With his cloak off, I could see four throwing knives that were black at the hilt all the way down to the blade. They were at least a foot long and they stood out from his black clothes. I still remembered how Axel was very good with his knives and how he was quick to draw them if he felt he was in danger. This would complicate things if I felt that Rose was needed to be away from him.**

"**Follow me and be quiet. I don't want any of the servants to find you. Knowing Cogsworth and Lumiere, they probably know something is wrong already." I said while walking down the down hallways.**

"**So those two are still here? I thought by now they would have left. Seeing as all you cared about was yourself-."**

"**Silence!" I roared. **

**He had no right to talk to me in such a disrespectful manner, but then again after what happened in the past…**

**Minutes later we arrived at the Library. It was the only place that the servants would never find Axel or disturb us.**

"**Wow!" was Axels' first reaction when he saw the mountain of books. **

**I could never know how he could seem as carefree as a time like this, or any other time when something seemed very important.**

"**Jeez, Calostire I didn't know you were the reader type. In fact I would have never guessed from all the other things you used to do. Like strategies, hunting, and all of that other stuff." **

**Axel walked around the room, Rose still in his arms sleeping peacefully.**

"**You can set Rose down on the couch over there. And don't call me by my name. I lost that name many years ago." I whispered.**

**In fact, the last time I heard my name used by someone I truly care about was…Rose. And she didn't even know that I was the very Calostire she thinks about.**

"**Oh and why shouldn't I? After all it is your name, but as I recall, you must have never told Rose your name because as I took her she kept asking where 'Master' was." **

**Axel asked, enjoying the fact that he had something to hold against me. **

**As he walked over to the couch and laid Rose gently on it, I answered him.**

"**Your right, I didn't tell her my name. She is to know me by Master and only that."**

"**You…your hiding something from her aren't you Calostire." He pointed an accusing finger at me, as if to emphasize his point.**

"**I heard about part of the curse from your servants. The villagers thought that the whole curse thing was still just a fantasy. But, while they were talking, you were able to stay human for a while. Did you happen to meet Rose, Calostire? Did you meet her when you were still a human?"**

**I glanced at my once childhood friend, his eyes showing that for once he was serious.**

"**Why should I tell you? First you come into my home and steal MY Rose, as well as the flower. Then you put a knife to her throat and knock her out. So tell me, why should I tell you about when I met Rose?"**

"**Because," Axel started, "you owe me that much Calostire."**

"**WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I OWE YOU!" I roared.**

**As I was yelling I didn't notice that Rose was starting to wake up after a few hours of rest. She mumbled something about 'Papa, don't leave me' and woke as I started raising my voice. Axel seemed to notice but I didn't as I was too busy roaring my head off.**

"**What do I owe you that could possibly comprehend to as how I met Rose or anything else concerning MY LIFE!?" My patience was long since gone.**

**Axel was trying to hide his anger, but do to the fact that I didn't seem to recall a certain incident that affected his whole life.**

"**What do you owe me? You owe me everything! You killed my parents, you took my kingdom, and you took my LIFE! Everything, gone!"**

**Axel looked like he was on the verge of tears; he was also trembling with rage.**

**I looked at Axel in shock. **

**Never once had I ever seen him like this. Even as children, Axel was never the type to lose his composure in any situation.**

"**Axel…I didn't…I forgot…" I tried.**

"**That's right! You forgot. That's all you ever think about is YOU! You are the one who sent your knights into my kingdom. You are the one who ordered your knights to do as they please. And do you know what they did? They burned our home. They murdered my parents. The only reason I survived was because I wasn't in the castle at the time. If you think about it, you owe me your life!"**

**Rose now fully awake, but before I could tell Axel, the words he said made my heart drop and my hope diminish.**

"**IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU ****CALOSTIRE,**** THAT I AM HERE TO STEAL ROSE AND YOU'RE STUPID FLOWER! I WANT TO RIP OUT YOUR HEART THE VERY WAY YOU RIPPED OUT MINE! I WILL NEVER, EVER FORGIVE YOU! ****CALOSTIRE**** I HOPE YOU ROT IN THE VERY HELL THAT YOU MADE MY LIFE INTO."**

**Axel now noticed that Rose was awake but what he saw made him realize what he had done. He now realized the reason that I didn't tell her my name, and that we had indeed met while I was human. He realized that I fell in love with her and her I, as a human.**


	32. The Truth Revealed

**Chapter Thirty Two**

**The Truth Revealed**

**(Rose POV)**

**No…this can't be happening. Master, the Beast that I have come to know and care about is actually Calostire. **

**The man I love.**

**Both men were now directly staring at me. Master or Calostire, his eyes were sullen, and had lost the light I once saw in them.**

"**Rose…" he started. **

**He reached out a clawed hand to me.**

**I jumped up though, shaking with fear and shock. Axel was still staring at Calostire with a sorrowful expression. **

**I had tears flowing down my face. He lied to me the whole time. He knew how I felt about him, and he kept it from me that the whole time the man I loved was always near me. It was him.**

"**Calostire I didn't know…I didn't know that-." Axel was suddenly thrown across the room as Calostire's fist came to his face with so much force that I could swear I heard something crack.**

**Calostire roared at Axel, as he regained a look of sure hatred in them. **

"**Look what you have done! You have ruined everything Axel. I know that what I did in the past was the worst thing I could have ever done to you, but why…why did you have to ruin the last hope I had LEFT! You still have a good chance for a life, but while I am in this form I have nothing!" **

**Calostire lunged at Axel while he was still trying to come back to his senses from the hit. I could see blood coming down from his head; it almost looked like his hair color. **

**But Axel gained a look that made me shiver. **

**Axel rolled away from the wall he was thrown from, and landed a kick into Calostires stomach. The two grabbed at each other and looked as though they were really trying to kill each other. Calostire landed a few fists on Axels face and stomach and Axel continued to try and kick himself away. But before he could pull his leg away, Calostire grabbed it and swung him towards a books case. He hit with such force that the entire bookcase looked as though it was going to fall on him. **

**Axel stood up wearily once; he had murder in his eyes, something that I saw in 'Masters' eyes, it frightened me deeply. **

**He pulled something out from his pocket and I could see something shine. **

**A knife!**

"**NO!" I yelled before either of them hit each other again. **

**They both stopped in their tracks, Masters claws right at Axel's throat and Axel's knife right at Masters chest. It was all too much to take in and the last thing I needed right now was Calostire and Axel to fight each other. **

**I had had enough.**

"**Please stop. Just stop it both of you. Master…Calostire…"**

**I ran. I had to go to the one place where I could sit and think for a while.**


	33. Right Where It Hurts

**Chapter Thirty Three**

**Right Where It Hurts**

**(Axel POV)**

**I knew I had said something wrong as soon as Calostire's eyes lost every ounce of life they had in them, and Rose was still a bit drowsy but she heard what I had said. The only problem was, was that I couldn't figure what I had said that made everyone so lifeless…oh no.**

"_Your right, I didn't tell her my name. She is to know me by Master and only that."…"You…your hiding something aren't you Calostire… you were able to stay human for a while…did you happen to meet Rose Calostire…did you meet her when you were still a human?"…"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU __CALOSTIRE__, THAT I AM HERE TO STEAL ROSE AND YOU'RE ROSE! I WANT TO RIP OUT YOUR HEART THE VERY WAY YOU RIPPED OUT MINE! I WILL NEVER, EVER FORGIVE YOU! __CALOSTIRE__, I HOPE YOU ROT IN THE VERY HELL YOU MADE MY LIFE INTO!"_

**They fell in love. **

**While Calostire was human, he met Rose and he fell in love with her. But when he turned into the beast and returned to the castle, somehow they met again but Rose didn't know. **

**She didn't know that the man she loved was the beast, her Master.**

**Rose was now fully awake and tears were streaming down her face. I could see the shock and fear in her emerald eyes.**

"**Rose…" Calostire tried to explain but she jumped at his voice.**

**I could see that he wasn't going to get anywhere, so I tried to apologize with all of my heart.**

"**Calostire I didn't know…I didn't know that-." I was cut off. **

**Calostire's fist punched right into my jaw and flung me into the wall beside me. I don't think that my jaw was broken but it hurt like hell. I could see blood start dripping from my already red hair from the crushing wall behind me.**

**When Calostire spoke, he told me how I had ruined all the hope he had left, and now he had nothing to live for. I could almost see the blood lust in the air, and hear it in his voice. He was going to kill me, and I was going to die lying on the ground dazed and hurt. **

**No, if I am going to die I will at least put up a good fight. **

**We fought crazily, I was thrown against the bookcase, and then I and Calostire got into something of a wrestling match. I landed a few good kicks on Calostire, but his fists were like knives themselves, and every time they hit me, it felt I was getting sliced at. **

**Finally, I had had enough, I got away and stood up wearily, it was now or never to end my once friends life, then go back to having a normal one.**

**Calostire lunged at me, his claws looking like daggers, and was aiming right at my throat. I quickly pulled one of my loyal knives and was just about to thrust the knife deep into Calostires chest, when I heard a scared voice yell out.**

"**NO!"**

**It was Rose, the one person who had been hurt the most in this little reunion. **

**I looked at her from the corner of my eye; she was trembling like a leaf in the wind. Looking back at my old friend, and saw the hurt in his eyes as he looked at her. **

**We both were bleeding deeply, but after noticing Rose, we must have scared her very much.**

"**Please stop. Just stop it both of you. Master…" Rose started, but then she ran out of the Library, leaving for the second time tonight.**

**Both of us backed away from each other and wiped the blood off of ourselves, Calostire looked to the door as if he was hoping that something would make Rose come back, But I knew that she needed time to think over.**

"**Dang Calostire, you really did do a good one on my jaw." **

**I cracked it back into place.**

**He seemed in a trance. **

**I knew that I hurt him more badly than any knife could ever do.**

"**Axel…please forgive me. I was foolish and full of greed when I hurt you so much. I… all my life I learned that power was all you needed to rule, as well as good knights to serve you. My father was against everything that I ever did. The only thing I could think about was power! And I wanted so much of it. Now…because of what I did Rose almost got hurt, and I lost the only friend I had as a child. Do you think she'll forgive me?" **

**He sighed, as if all the troubles of the world were on his shoulders, weighing him down.**

"**And what about you, I know that nothing I do can ever pay for what I had done. Just please, if I lose Rose, I don't know what I'll do…"**

**He looked at me as if I was the answer to all of his problems.**

"**Calostire, I don't think that I will ever fully forgive you for what you did, but I can let go of it right now. As for Rose," I sighed. **

"**I don't think she would have been as hurt if you told her in the first place. I mean come on! You knew she loved you, so why didn't you tell her?"**

**I could see that he was debating on whether or not it was a good reason, but I sorta already knew what he kinda would have said. **

'**Who could ever love a beast?'**

"**I didn't want her to now; because I thought that no good would come from me loving her. I thought that she would be repulsed that I loved her in this form, and that she would reject me and leave as soon as I told her. **

**The voice inside of my head told me that she loved the human side of me, and nothing more."**

**We both sat on the couch that Rose was laying in not too long ago. It was still warm where she laid.**

"**Look Calostire, I may have just met Rose. But from what I can tell, she loves you no matter what you look like. I think that she was more hurt that you lied to her. If we're ever going to talk to Rose again, I think that we need to get along for her sake. Deal?"**

**I held out my hand to shake on the deal.**

**At first Calostire looked at me confused, but then I could see that he finally understood.**

**We shook on it, promising to each other that we would work together for Rose's sake.**


	34. What Was Lost, Now Found

**Chapter Thirty Four**

**What Was Lost, Now is Found**

**(Gaston POV)**

"**IM SICK AND TIRED OF LOOKING THROUGH THESE DAMNED WOODS! WHERE IN THE HELL COULD SHE BE?!" **

**I looked and looked through the woods over and over again, not seeing any sign that my 'bride-to-be' had even been in the woods**

"**I swear when I find her-". **

**I fell into yet another ditch that was hidden to me from the damnable snow and stupid twigs that got in my way. Snow covered me from head to toe once I reached the bottom. **

**My gun and my satchel that I had been carrying were suddenly soaked and then my anger was passed calming point. **

"**WHEN I FIND THAT GIRL I'LL MAKE SURE TO SHOW HER HOW MUCH TROUBLE I HAD TO GO THROUGH JUST TO GET HER HAND IN MARRIAGE. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK THEN I'LL JUST MAKE HER MARRY ME!" **

**I could hear my voice echo throughout the forest. I had nothing to fear of the wolves tonight. It was a blizzard, and even they had the sense to hide. But no, I had to go and look for my lost soon-to-be-wife. **

**I went down the ditch and was about to pick up my gun and the rest of my pack when I noticed something. **

**A torn piece of cloth. **

**I picked it up and examined it, it was the exact color that Lofu described to me of Rose's cloak. **

**I looked up, only to find that the surrounding trees had claw marks on them. Some I could tell came from the wolves, but there were bigger ones, ones that looked as though they could cut through anything. **

"**What in the bloody hell happened here? These marks…" I trailed off as my hand followed the marks. They were big as they were deep. **

**As I continued to follow a trail of broken trees, more cloth trails, and even faint blood marks that stained the trees as well. By the time I came to the last tree I looked up, only to see that I had found something more that my soon-to-be-wife, but a castle. A huge one at that!**

"**I think I just found out where my Rose may have run off too." Smirking as I whispered to myself. Now at least I knew where Rose had run off for all those weeks. **

**The thought of going back and getting Lofu and some other guys crossed my mind, but I wanted to take all the glory for finding her. So I cautiously walked up to the gates of the castle. I was finally going to get my Rose. **


	35. Thoughts And Ponders

**Chapter 35**

**Thoughts and Ponders**

**(Rose POV)**

**I sat in my room crying for what seemed like hours. My heart felt torn, and hurt because of the lies that had been feed to me after all these months. **

**Master, the beast, was actually Calostire, the man I loved.**

"**How could he do this to me? He knew that I loved him, he knew that I cared about him more than anything else…" I mumbled to myself.**

**The horror's that I saw an hour ago still haunted my mind. Calostire and Axel, they used to be childhood friends. Then Calostire tore Axel's world apart by taking over Axel's land. How could Calostire do that? Didn't he care about his friend? What if everything he told me, everything he felt was just a lie? **

"**Oh! I don't know what to believe anymore! Maybe this all just one big dream that I'm having after reading a adventure book." **

**I rubbed my head in annoyance. **

**A knock at the door echoed throughout my room, and dread spread throughout me. What if it was Calostire?! I don't think I can handle talking to him at the moment. Things have just happened way to fast. **

"**Deary?" A soft voice said.**

"**Mademoiselle?" A cheery voice rang.**

**"Anyone there?" The last voice said.**

**I instantly recognized the voices as Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth. The three that I actually were able to call friends. Over the weeks, all of them were helpful and they were always there for me when things seemed down in the dumps.**

**"Come in," I said, somewhat monotone voice, "no one else is out there, right?"**

"**No dear, its just us three." Mrs. Potts replied.**

**As they all walked in, I could tell that they already knew of the events that had transpired. I guess all that roaring and yelling seemed to get around the castle.**

**"Are you all right mademoiselle? You seem to look a little pale and your eyes are all red and puffy." Lumiere asked. Concern clear in his tone.**

**"Lumiere! Must you be so forward to the lady! After all she's been through; you just have to be the first one to say something about her appearance. Have you no decency?!" Cogsworth bellowed. I could only giggle as I watched the two bicker and fight. Even after all that had happened, I could still laugh somehow.**

**"Dear, don't mind them. They really are concerned; after all we heard the tale that had happened when Master was in his human form. After he came back one day, he didn't bellow or yell at anyone. He actually seemed like he was happy. After that we knew that he kept going to the village for some reason, but he never told us that he fell in love with you let alone, even met you!" Mrs. Potts sighed. Chip was nowhere to be seen, usually he was always with his mother, but I could guess that Mrs. Potts told him that he couldn't come today. I wish she would have let him come; he always had a childish way of cheering me up. **

**"I don't know Mrs. Potts, maybe he didn't fall in love. Maybe he just wanted to find something that resembled friendship. After all, if you love someone you tell them if something is wrong. They tell you when there sad, or hurt. Not lie after several weeks of being around the one you supposedly 'love', when that 'loved' one doesn't even know." All this hatred and anger just kept rising to my throat and all I could do was just let it all out. It was like everything single little thing that had bothered me just poured out. **

**Soon I was in tears again, telling them of when I got to the castle and what had happened. I didn't even notice when Lumiere and Cogsworth stopped fighting.**

**After I was done, I was panting. All of my breath seemed to leave me after I finally let everything out. The tears streaked my face, and all I could do was sit in silence and wait for someone, anyone to say something. **

**"Mademoiselle…Rose, you know that's not true. Master does care about you! He cares more about you than anyone else he's ever known. You are the only one that showed him that kindness is in everyone, even if it's buried way down deep inside of them. When you were hurt, your side, all he did while you were resting was pace back and forth in front of your room while you slept. I, in all of my years of knowing him, did he ever do that. Plus, he kept mumbling how it was his entire fault and how someone as kind as you shouldn't have had that happen to you." Lumiere stopped, and then looked at me with such as serious expression that I almost couldn't believe it. "He also said how he was afraid of telling you something…how he was afraid that you would hate him and never see him again if he told you. When you think about it now Rose, I think he was talking about telling you he was Master Calostire. At first my dear, I think that the only reason he kept you here was because of the curse…" I stopped him.**

**"What curse? He never told me about a curse?" I was confused, were they talking about the curse on the castle, or something else? "Calostire already explained to me about how his temper turned everyone into what you are now, but is there something else?"**

**The servants looked at each other expectantly. Then Cogsworth waddled up to me and explained the rest of the tale, the tale about the rose. The very one I saw when I first came to the castle. And what part it played in the curse.**

**All of the servants looked at me as I got up from the bed and moved over to the window to watch the falling snow. How peaceful it looked on the outside, with the white wonderland, and the little flakes that you could catch on your tongue. I remember when I was little and I first saw snow, how I ran outside to look up into the sky and wonder what made the little flakes. But now, I was in a castle with a man that I truly care about, but he lied to me…lied to me that he was near me all this time. **

_Is that what he was afraid of? That I would hate him because he was a beast? That would explain…and the rose. It played a part in his explanation for the lie. He needed a woman to fall in love with him, and him her for him to become human again. _

**I snapped out of my thoughts. **

**"Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts. Thank you all. I think I now understand why Calostire didn't want to tell me. Now that I think about it, it makes a lot of sense. But still, I wouldn't have cared what he looked like. I just wanted to be with him." I said.**

**I needed to find Calostire and tell him that I was sorry.**


	36. Intruder

**Chapter 36**

**Intruder**

**(Gaston POV)**

**I slipped past the gates and noticed that the place itself was something that looked as though it came from a nightmare. The dark look of the trees surrounding the place, the gargoyles that sit on top of the castle balconies, and not to mention the drop that lay below the bridge that I was crossing. But if this was where Rose lay then I would be damned if something like a scary castle kept me from marrying her.**

**Towering over me now, lay the door to the castle. It's dark oaken wood and bolts all rusted and old looking from not being used in so long. I pushed the two great doors open with all my might, and managed to slip inside the giant place with slyness. Once inside, the place had candles lit, and a fire going in a room somewhere, but not a soul was heard. I gripped my gun even tighter and dropped the rest of my belongings, after all a big castle probably meant a big owner and I didn't need any extra baggage to make it harder to get my prize. **

**I carefully walked down one of the long corridors, still not hearing any noise's besides the sounds of my muffled footsteps from the carpet. Everything looked clean, besides the outside exteriors look, everything in the castle was spotless. Someone had to have cleaned the place, and that meant that someone was still inside the building. **

**All of a sudden a door softly opened.**

**I quickly cocked my gun and raised it to eye level to aim. The person that walked into my line of view was the exact person I was looking for.**

**"Rose?"**

**Her hazel eyes quickly turned to me in surprise, and shock. She looked well fed, and was wearing a florescent green gown that looked to be made of the finest silk and matched her perfectly. **

**"Gaston! What are you doing here?" She asked in an equally shocked voice.**

**I chuckled in my deep voice and said to her in the most macho voice I could muster, "Why I've come here to save you! Your fathers been vary worried about you, and once we have returned to the village you can tell you how I saved you from this horrible and vile place as well as the Master of this estate. Then, you and I can live happily ever after, together."**

**She quietly whispered as if she remembered something she had forgotten, "Father…," then as if finally realizing something she yelled out.**

**"Wait! What do you mean, ''You and I will live happily ever after together?' Gaston I've already told you like I did in the village that I wouldn't marry you! I don't love you and I never will. You are self centered and you only care about looks instead of what a person is truly about. Like feelings and emotions, or even the person themselves." Rose said with defiance. Her small frame trembling either from rage or fear, I could not tell. **

**I didn't understand, here I was, going through wolf infested forests, dealing with crazy old men, and now entering a castle that was probably owned by some king, and here was the only 'beautiful woman as me' turning me down cause I liked her looks. **

**"Now you listen to me Rose," I fumed, pointing a gloved finger at her exasperatingly. **

**Suddenly I was furious, like the only thing I could think of doing was dragging that stupid girl out of the damn castle and taking back to the village, locking her old man up in the asylum, and then forcing her to marry me.**

**"I came all the way her to find you, and now I end up here only to find myself turned down. Well you know what?" Grasping Rose's brown hair, I pulled her face close to mine.**

**"Your going to marry me whether you like it or not! Your father will pay anyhow if you refuse. Let's just say you'll have to visit him in the 'crazy house'." As if she was suddenly some sort of disease, I threw her against the wall, her head hitting it hard.**

**All of a sudden Rose's cry echoed throughout the hallway, and seemed to go around the whole castle. Then her body fell to the ground, like a marionette with her strings cut. She grasped her head, I could see blood all of a sudden coming from her forehead from where she had hit the wall. **

**'BOOM' **

**The sound came clear from somewhere far off.**

**I pulled out my shotgun, and cocked it, ready for whatever was to come, ignoring the sobs of Rose as she tried to stop the blood flowing.**


	37. Cries of Pain Tears of Joy

**Chapter 37**

**Cries of Pain Tears of Joy**

**Both men, Axel and Calostire heard the scream from far off in the castle and immediately knew that it was Rose. Bursting from the library, they sprinted down the hallway in the middle of the night. Servants gone, the hallways lay bare to the candle light making an eerie gloom on the walls. With thudding hearts, beast and man franticly searched for the young girl who had yelled out in either pain or fright. They hopped the latter.**

**Finally they reached the East Hallway where they found a man in a red hunting shirt, black pants made of some leather, and a gun that looked as if it could shoot a hole through anything, was picking up Rose who was now crying in the mans arms blood on her head. **

**She cried out to be released from his hold while the crimson flowed from her head, but he merely shouted at her to silence. Calostire instantly recognized the man as Gaston from Roses village. The same one who had tried to grab her and persuade her to marry him. Axel, seeing his friends anger, grabbed for his knives and yelled out. **

**"I would advise putting the girl down, or else my friend and I may get a little threatening." Axel said, with little humor.**

**Gaston instantly whipped around only to face a man with clothes as black as the night and a creature that resembled a wolf and a lion.**

**"So, these are the types of people that live in a castle inside the forest. A red haired freak, as well as a monster!" Gaston chuckled, "I'm sorry though, I didn't come all this way to get Rose here, only to put her down because you told me too." **

**"But," Gaston put down Rose non to gently on the ground and reached for his gun, "I wouldn't mind adding that creatures head to my wall to prove to this girl's father that I really did save her from something!" He nodded in Calostires direction.**

**"NO!" Rose yelled, voice hoarse from the scream, as Gaston took aim at Calostire.**

**Axel quickly pulled one of his knives from his belt and threw it in Gaston's direction. With the knife hitting Gaston right in the left thigh, it caused the man to pull the trigger off target, but never the less it hit Axel in his arm. **

**Axel yelled out it great agony as the bullet struck him in his arm. It wasn't his knife throwing arm, Axel was grateful for, but all the same the pain seared through him like a wildfire.**

**"AXEL!" both Rose and Calostire yelled out, but Axel merely laughed after the first strike of pain passed.**

**"Calostire, get Rose out of here. I don't want her to see me kill this pathetic little man and show him what a true predator is." His voice suddenly got cold and harsh, something that scared even Calostire a little.**

**Gaston, hearing the red haired man say a familiar name, looked in the direction of the beast.**

**"No…you can't be! Not that man from the village!" Gaston said, awestruck.**

**With the countering silence beside the heavy breathing of Axel in pain, and the cries of Rose as she watched Axel's wound bleed atrociously. Calostire merely stood his ground and glared at the man whom towards he was hopping to kill oh so slowly.**

**"CALOSTIRE! Get Rose out of here!" Axel yelled, as he once again grabbed for another knife and was getting into a readying stance.**

**With no further hesitation, Calostire sprinted and lunged for Rose. Gaston seemed to be waiting for this move, because he raised his gun with precise aim and was getting ready to fire, when once more Axels knives managed to knock the man's aim off. The beast reached Rose, grasped her in his big arms and ran out and away from the hallway. Shot's were heard as Calostire ran farther and farther away from his best friend. Just the thought of Axel suddenly getting killed, sank in the man's heart, almost making him drop Rose with his sudden weakness.**

**After running what seemed like forever, Calostire managed to reach his room.**

**"Calostire!" Rose gasped, as the man suddenly fell to his knees once letting go of her. She ran and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. When he seemed to have felt it, he suddenly grabbed for Rose and pulled her into a warm embrace.**

**"Rose…Rose I'm so sorry." **

**Those were the first words that Calostire had wanted to say ever since the incident in the library. He had gone through all of his thoughts and realized that he should have told her all along who he was.**

**"I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I was when I brought you here. I-I didn't want you to know who I was. I thought that if you knew what the man you fell in love with in the village was a beast…then y-you w-w-would ha-ate m-me. That you would find a repulsive beast caring for you, the most disgruntling thing ever. I just wanted you to be happy."**

**Rose could feel Calostire's shoulders moving with shaking motion, as he held onto her like a life support, afraid that if he let her go, then he would drown in despair. His voice was coming out I choked sobs.**

**The small young woman looked up at the man she loved, only to meet his blue eyes. The same blue eye's that she saw in the village, the same blue eyes that she fell in love with.**

**"Calostire…I could never hate you." She lightly touched his face, he leaned into her touch.**

**"I think that what hurt me the most was that you knew how much I cared about you, and yet you lied to me. Making me worry about you, when after all this time you were with me. It felt like my heart was torn out, and yet filled with relief when I realized it was you. I felt torn out because you were afraid to tell me anything, yet I felt like my heart could soar because I-I was with the man I cared about. And besides, being with you makes me happy." **

**She too now had tears falling down her eyes. Not wanting for Calostire to see, she turned her head away from his prying eyes. But he saw, and his heart melted. Even though he had lied to her after all those months, she still loved him.**

**Calostire reached down and pulled Rose's chin to make her face him. Her wet tears leaving trails down her face. He lightly wiped the tears away, and brushed some of the slightly dried blood from her head, making sure that he put no pressure on her head. **

**When her eyes met his once more, he knew that he would die for her. That he would want to be with her forever, and no one else.**

**"Rose…" he trailed off.**

**All of a sudden the doors of the bedroom flew open. Calostire immediately pushed Rose behind him, getting in a ready stance for what was to come. **

**What came through the door about made Calostires heart drop. Axel, came limping inside, blood trailing behind him. Axel looked towards Calostire, his green eyes didn't show that usual fire they had in them. They were dull, and almost lifeless. The red haired man made weak grin as he tried to speak. But as soon as the man opened his mouth, all the came out was blood. **

**The man could no longer hold himself up, and collapsed onto the floor.**

**"Axel!" Rose whispered. **

**Even though Rose met Axel under tough circumstances, she cared for the man as a friend and seeing him in such a weak state when he was a strong man make her sob. "Axel please, please get up Axel! You cant-you cant d--." She couldn't even muster of what she didn't want to happen. She was kneeling at his side, moving his shoulders with an urge to get up, to show any sign that he was ok. Calostire looked at Rose with such sadness. She was still so innocent, having never seen death or anyone is such a state. Now, seeing her friend like that, he was wondering if she could handle in anymore. In the past few hours she had seen more blood than she had probably seen in her entire life. He himself had seen enough and could only rush to his friend's aid along beside Rose, and carry the man to the torn bed. **

**Once they tore off Axel's coat, they saw how much pain the man had actually been through.**

**Six bullet shots. Two on his right side, one on his arm, another one on his left shoulder blade, and two on his left chest. It was a wonder that the man was still alive, but Calostire knew that Axel had the will power to go against anything.**

**"Rose, I need you to tear off parts off of the bed and try and stop the bleeding. If he continues to lose blood this quick then he will most likely-." Calostire couldn't even muster up what Rose couldn't say. **

**She nodded her head and started working on Axel's wounds. It would take time, but the man would survive. **

**With all the commotion, the two (plus the unconscious Axel) didn't notice three of the servants rush inside.**

**"Master!" they all called out in union.**

**Mrs. Potts went straight to Rose to help her with the stranger, while Lumiere and Cogsworth went to their Master to ask questions of what was going on. Calostire told them everything, from when he met Rose, to the exact night. It felt almost like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders for letting everything out, but he couldn't let them know everything yet. All three seemed to be content with what they had learned, but Calostire knew that they wanted to ask more.**

**"That is all I will tell you tonight. Right now I need to find out what happened to the intruder." **

**With that, he sent them off quickly; he wanted to be alone with Rose. **

**Moments later all hell broke loose.**

**A shot rang out through the room. Gaston was standing at the door, bleeding, but not near as much as Axel was. None the less, blood now covered the bedroom floor and made it look like a slaughter house. It disgusted Calostire to no end. **

**"So, that damned freak managed to survived did he? I thought he would have been dead after all the bullets I had to waste on him." Gaston spat out blood from his mouth. "He just wouldn't give up. Wouldn't stop saying how he had to protect his 'friends' and make up for what he had done, or something like that." He said scornfully. **

**"Well now, at least with him out of the way, I can finally deal with you." Gaston was looking directly at Calostire.**

**"I can't have you going around and stealing my girl, although I don't know what she would see in someone like you. Just look at you! Claws, sharp teeth, and even a tail! You're nothing but a monster."**

**"That's not true!" **

**Rose suddenly yelled out, Gaston hadn't noticed that Rose was in the room, and seemed to think that he was hearing things until Rose was in his face and poking his chest with her finger. Her face that had tears in them not long ago, was now filled with rage. **

**"Gaston he is more of a man than you will ever be. He is caring, strong, smart, and doesn't just look at person and judge. Although as for what someone could say about you…" She stopped and made a disgusted face. "You're nothing but a pig."**

**It took a while but finally Gaston seemed to take in the fact that there was no way on heaven or hell that Rose was every going to marry him willingly, so he would just have to make her.**

**The man suddenly backhanded the girl, the force knocking her unconscious. Rose feel to the ground with a bright red mark on her face marring her skin twice in one night. **

**Calostire ran to her aid, and picked her up gently almost afraid that he could break her. He looked at her face and noted how big the red mark on her face was. No man should ever hit a woman, that much Calostire had learned when he was a child, even if he himself had hurt Rose in the past. **

**An unspeakable anger and rage boiled up inside of him, and now there was no holding it back.**

**"So, is this how you expect someone to marry you?" Calostire spat out. "By hitting them, threatening them, and hurting the people they care about?" He asked with and evil humor in his voice. "No wonder Rose would ever marry you. You would do nothing but ruin her life. You don't, and will never, deserve anyone as kind and caring as her." He said, laying Rose besides his best friend on the bed. **

**This man, Gaston, would pay dearly. He hurt two people that he deeply cared about. They both lay on the bed, one bleeding and the other knocked out. How calm they looked, as if nothing had ever happened…but it did. Gaston did this and had threatened him. He would be sure to make the man suffer a long and painful death.**

_**You see? This is what you should have done earlier before you let things get this far Calostire. Now this man has hurt our woman, our companion, and worst of all, mocked us. Calling us a 'monster'. Give in, let me handle this. I will make sure that by the time I am done with this 'hunter,' as he calls himself that he will beg for death. If only you had given in sooner… **_

_No, I will not let Rose witness such darkness that we have inside. If I had done such things in front of her, she would look at me with fear, and maybe even think that we would harm her in such a way. I couldn't let that innocent light that shines in her eyes, dim because of me. If you think about it, it's almost best that this man knocked her out. None the less, it's time for this nonsense to be at an end._

**Calostire suddenly looked at Gaston. That look made even the great hunter himself take a step back. Even Gaston would have noticed those once blue eyes, now held something more that hate, they held bloodlust. **

**Gaston pulled his gun up to point at Calostires head. Finger on the trigger, Gaston pulled. All of a sudden Calostire was in the man's face growling in a deep thundering tone, the gun thrown to the ground. Yes Gaston had shot, but the monster seemed unfazed even as blood seeped from his right shoulder. With scaring speed, the creature grabbed Gaston by the throat and led him to his balcony, past the bed where Rose and Axel lay, past the glimmering rose that lay in the glass dome, and out into the darkness of the doorway outside that lay over the cliffs on the side of Calostires magnificent castle.**

**"**_**You come to my home, you hurt my friend, hit and try and steal MY woman, and you dare point that pathetic piece of shooting metal at me. Now you will see what kind of fearsome thing you have unleashed. It's almost a good thing that you knocked MY Rose out, otherwise she would have had to witness me kill you in a slow,"**__**Calostire dug a claw into the man's arm and the other onto the man's neck to hold him. **_

_"__**Agonizing,**__"_

_**He then twisted his hand, the claws digging deeper into Gaston's arm and breaking it. "**__**Way.**__**"**_

_**Gaston yelled a horrific and agonizing sound that would send shivers down any mans back. The pain that this monster inflicted upon him was something unbearable. He had not just broken one of the man's bones, he broke everything in his right arm, nothing left intact.**_

_**"Don't you enjoy the pain hunter? Don't you love to feel what those laying on the bed had to feel as you shot one, and backhanded the other?**__**" An unruly laughter broke from Calostires mouth. Gaston still in his grip, was merely hanging by his neck now, while his arm lay limp by his side and the other hand was trying to loosen the monsters grip.. **_

_**Calostire made a move and grabbed the other mans arm.**_

_**"P-please! H-h-have mercy on m-me!" Gaston pleaded.**_

_**But Calostire was beyond mercy. He wanted this man to beg for death, to beg for Calostire to end his pathetic life quick and painless. But no, death would not come so easily.**_

_**"Calostire?"**_

_**Rose was now awake, the red mark still on her face fresh. She was waking up from the hit, and was looking for Calostire. When she saw him, she saw something she never thought she would see.**_

_**Calostire was holding Gaston by his neck, clearly Gaston's arm was broken. But now, Calostire had a clear intent of breaking Gaston's other arm. He was holding it in a vice grip, already the man in his grasp was in pain, wriggling like a fish out of water. But that wasn't all what shocked her, it was his eyes. They were no longer blue, they were a crimson red.**_

_**"Calostire! No, you can't hurt him! Don't!" Rose ran up to the beast and tried to calm him down and persuade him to let Gaston go.**_

_**"If you hurt Gaston then you will be just as bad as he is! You're not like that, Calostire please let him go."**_

_**Oblivious to Rose's voice, Calostire broke Gaston's other arm. Allowing, yet another, holler of pain to echo throughout the castle and the night sky. Calostire dropped the pathetic man to the ground and turned to Rose. Gaston couldn't take the pain and merely passed out where his body landed. Never before had the hunter looked as pitiful as he did now. **_

_**Now, with the beasts glare beating down upon her, Rose couldn't help but feel something was terribly wrong. Taking a tentative step back Rose was shaking in fear as those crimson eyes were now staring right at her.**_

_**"How dare you! This man has tried to steal you from me, harm you, and yet you stand up for him! Do you prefer him over me? Or is it that every emotion that you show me is nothing but lies?!"**__** Calostire roared out. His beast side was still having a hold on his body, blinding him to what he was saying or to what he was about to do. **_

_**"**__**If I can't have you, then no one will have you!"**__** Calostire roared. He reached for Rose and grasped the girl's throat, just as he had done moments ago to the hunter.**_

_**"W-who are you?! You are not C-Calostire! He w-would never say that, that's just what Gaston would s-say and I know that you are n-nothing like that man lying on the g-ground!" Rose was left gasping as she tried to find out what had happened to the man she loved. **_

_**"I am Calostire! Don't you see?!"**__** The beast laughed a cruel evil laugh. **__**"Are you so blind that you cannot notice your loved one standing before you? If that is so, maybe you don't care about me as you say you do."**_

_**His grip tightened on the girl's throat. Tears streaming down her eyes as she tried to allow air into her lungs.   
"P-please Calostire…I love you…" her voiced died away as Calostire once more tightened his grip. She was blacking out from the lack of air. But as soon as those words had escaped her lips, those crimson eyes suddenly returned to the blue, caring ones. Meanwhile, those blue eyes noticed the hazel ones fade away along with her life.**_

_**"R-rose!" **_

_**He realized what he had done and was barley able to comprehend what was happening. Releasing the girl's throat, he saw the deep bruises that his grasp had left on her neck. They seemed darken as he let go and watched her body fall to the ground.**_

_**"Rose? Rose please…Rose answer me!" He knelt down beside her and was choking, he couldn't breathe. His heart seemed to have frozen in his chest and was now spreading throughout his body. As he held onto Rose, he realized just how small and frail the girl was compared to him. He tried shaking her awake softly, like children do to their parents to wake them from their slumber. But Rose wasn't ever going to wake up again. **_

_**"What have I done…I've hurt my Rose." **_

_**And then Calostire cried. Tears that he had held in for so many years suddenly poured out as if no longer could he hold back the despair of what his cruelty had done. He didn't cry when his parents died, he didn't cry when he realized his fate was sealed, and he didn't cry when he hurt Axel. But now he hurt the one person that he loved, and loved him in return.**_

_**"Rose…I love you" He sobbed holding her close once more as he had done not long ago. Except this time, there was no response. Nothing but a girl in monsters arms. **_

__


	38. Choices

_**Chapter 38**_

_**Choices**_

_**A bright light shone from somewhere close by. Calostire looked up, Rose still in his arms, and noticed that the rose had now shed its last petal. It fell slowly as if taunting the beast saying, 'You're too late.' But, yet the petal, as it fell to the other ones that lay at the bottom of the glass, were all glowing a bright red. **_

_What's happening?_

_**All of a sudden a voice rang throughout the room. It was soft, a familiar soft to all of those who had experienced the curse so many years ago. The voice was rich, and sounded as smooth as silk, and it appeared to be coming from the petals of the rose.**_

_**"**__Calostire…"_

_**Calostire's ears seemed to pick up at the sound of the voice.**_

_**It was the Enchantress. The one that had condemned him to a life of hell, a life of living in the shadows now, even when he could roam as a human he felt like an outcast. The people would stare; they would stare as if they could see right through him and see the beast that lay inside of him.**_

_**"You!" Calostire gently lay Rose on the floor, "Well are you happy now? I found true love…" his voiced died away. He looked at the small flower with mixed emotions. The biggest one was sadness. "Are you happy that I finally found someone that could look at me without revulsion and could touch me without backing away? If so, why did she have to suffer?" He pointed at the girl. "Rose didn't deserve this…she didn't deserve to get hurt. I have a feeling that you knew she was the one, the one to break this curse." Calostire stopped. He could feel the tears threatening to fall again. Seeing Rose on the ground, not moving, was still fresh that it felt as if his very heart was being broken in half.**_

_**"Why?!" He roared. "Answer me witch! WHY DOES SHE DESERVE TO BE HARMED? WHY COULDN'T I HAVE DIED INSTEAD, DIED BY THE HANDS OF THE HUNTER OR JUST BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER FEEL. I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE AFTER WHAT I DID! JUST KILL ME NOW!"**_

_**An eerie silence filled the room until the Enchantress answered. **_

_"Young Calostire, I know that you are going through great pain right now. This was not supposed to occur. The hunter should have never been able to find this castle and disturb what I foresaw. Even young Axel had a place in all of this."__** By now, a glowing silhouette of a woman was in the room, standing before the beast prince. She went towards the young red haired man lying on the bed. **__"He was to show you that you had changed and that you could love, love the girl. When the hunter came, he also started to serve a purpose of trying to forgive. Even though you had caused such pain in his life, he still found it in himself to fight for you." __** She touched the cheek of Axel, earning a light gasp from the young man. All of a sudden Axel rose from the bed slowly, as if all this time he had just been sleeping.**_

_**"Calostire?" Axel ruffled his hair lightly. "Wha-what happened? All I can remember is fighting that monstrosity of a man, and then trying to come back to find you…ROSE!" He suddenly jumped off the bed and ran to the girl's body. "Calostire! What happened? What's wrong with Rose, and why isn't…she…moving…?" Axel's gloved fingers found the girls neck and traced the finger lines that lay on her skin. "No…" He looked up at Calostire, his green eyes filled with shock and sadness. "Calostire please tell me that what I'm thinking isn't true!" Hot tears were now pouring down Axels face. Both men that night had cried their first tears in how many years since the day they met. **_

_**"I'm sorry Axel…I-I was not myself." It was hard for Calostire to explain that inside of him were two personalities. One was his normal self while the other—the other was monster, a true monster that cared of no one but itself and would hurt anyone that ever stood in its way.**_

_**Once he finished explaining it, both men sat in a silence that would make the dead seem loud. **_

_**"This should have never happened. I should have been up and able to protect her, or you. But I was too busy dreaming of the past." Axel laughed. A true happy and old self laugh. "The only difference was that Rose was there too. I was dreaming that we were all younger and playing that ball game that me and you used to love to play. Even though I always won, and you would yell and say that I cheated. But, we were all happy and didn't have a care in the world. It was the most cheerful thing I ever felt in a long time."**_

_**He sighed and looked at Calostire once more, only this time all of the happiness was gone. "If only the real world was the same."**_

_**The Enchantress, being quiet and unnoticed for some time again, spoke once more, only this time her voice had something different in it. It was still smooth and soft, but there was a certain feeling to it that made both men back away.**_

_"Calostire I have come to you, as the last petal has fallen from the rose, with a chance to give you something you care about back."_

_**Calostire, who now seemed dead, looked upon the beautiful witch. He remembered how once he was astounded by her beauty, only now that beauty seemed of nothing compared to Rose. No, now that beauty only made his heart burn with rage. Not at the Enchantress, but at himself.**_

_**"And what is that Enchantress? What can you possibly give me that would want to continue living now that the only thing I ever cared about is gone?" Calostire asked, his once hard and deep voice, a soft whisper. Axel looked at his friend with an equal sadness. Even though he had not known Rose for long, he still felt a need to protect her. She was kind to him, even if she didn't know him, and he stole her from Calostire. She was still one to smile in the face of fear. Fear with red hair. **_

_"Young man, do not be so upset. I know that things are still hard for you, as they have been for so many years with you in that form. You once had such hatred to the world that even the most evil of men would back away in fear." _**She seemed to be looking over at the dead man that was once Gaston.**_ "His heart was so full of jealousy and evil, that your evil tore his apart. That other side of you, which you speak of, is still that part of you many years ago. You can't let ones past go that easily. That is why reaching Rose was so hard in the beginning. It was fighting you, trying to get you to push her away. But your gaining love for her fought that dark side and allowed you to protect her from yourself. Up until now when that darkness was unleashed when your hatred for Gaston couldn't be held. But now, you have the chance to take away that mistake, and make things right once more."_

_**With those words spoken Calostire suddenly seemed to shake. Whether it is from shock or the sudden joy no one could tell.**_

_**"D-do you mean that you-"Calostire tried to say the words but somehow couldn't. If what he was thinking turned out to be wrong, then nothing else she said would matter to him. The Enchantress smiled, knowing exactly what the beast before her was thinking.**_

_"I can bring the young girls life back, Calostire. I can return the breath that was stolen from her. With her being the same as she was. Nothing different."_

_**Both men felt as if all of their fears were gone, Rose was going to come back! **_

_"But there is something that you must give me in return for her life, something very important to you Calostire."_

_**"What is it?! I don't care, I'll do anything! Just give me back my Rose!" The man was almost shouting at the witch. He just wanted Rose to come back already. Axel too was almost about to start yelling, for he too wanted to see the young girls smiling face again.**_

_**"**__You, Calostire, must give me your humanity."_

_**The breath almost seemed to flow out of Calostire. **_

_**Once chance, one chance to go back to being a human and walking amongst everyone else without suspicious looks, or grim faces directed at him. But, the thought without Rose was even more unbearable to him. He looked up at the Enchantress. Her face, the only visible part of her, showed that she too didn't like the situation that he was put under. **_

_"I'm sorry Calostire but it's the only thing I can do for you. It's either give up the chance to go back to being human, or stay in the form you are now, and bring back the only woman that you have ever loved." _

_**The red haired man standing next to Calostire turned to his friend. "Calostire…what are you going to do?" The beast, knowing long before any of this had happened, turned to face Axel and grinned. Then, facing the Enchantress, said few words. **_

_**"Bring Rose back."**_


	39. Together At Last

_**Chapter 39**_

_**Together At Last**_

_**The Enchantress smiled softly and nodded. She silently glided to where the young girl lay. Then touched the girls face. Calostire suddenly felt as though a part of him was being torn away. It was not and uncomfortable feeling, in fact in made Calostire smile. He felt as though he was being covered in a warm blanket.**_

_**Then, the Enchantress was gone. Her light faded slowly and silent, almost as if she was never there.**_

_**"Well…did it work?" Axel asked. Both men walked over to where Rose lay. Calostire, almost too afraid to see if it did, softly called out, "Rose?"**_

_**Both men waited silently, hearts beating hard in there chests like a bird trying to break free from a cage. Calostire still wouldn't look away from the girls face. Looking for any sign of her waking up, or at least the slightest hint that the Enchantress kept her word. **_

_**"Rose…hey come on you silly girl time to wake up." Axel called as he silent by Calostires side. All of a sudden the girl's eyes fluttered open and looked up at the two men, looking as though she had just woken up from a very long nap like Axel had. **_

_**"Whass goin on?" Rose asked, somewhat softly when her eyes grew larger and then she grasped her neck. **_

_**"What happened!? The last thing I can remember is when Calostire was attacking Gaston," she looked towards the body lying on the floor, like a toy long forgotten and left to lay forever in that one spot. "And then-." She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Calostire with tears threatening to overflow. **_

_**Calostire looked at her with such guilt that Rose immediately understood that there was something he had to say that was very important.**_

_**"Rose…when I got this body, my anger, my rage, suddenly grew into another part of me. It's like I have another person inside of me. It just wants to break out and attack! To lash out at the world and never lets anybody resist it!" **_

_**Axel looked at his old friend and realized how serious he was about his anger. He had seen it first hand in the library. How quickly Calostire could be so gentle and caring, then the next, Axel is sitting in the wall with blood dripping down his head. Calostire continued. **_

_**"So when I saw that…that man shoot Axel, and then strike at you, there was no holding back. That other side of me just wanted to kill, to make Gaston beg for death, to make him pay in the most grueling way." He looked at Rose; with a look in his eyes with a begging plead inside of them to understand. "When you suddenly came up and tried to stop it from causing pain, then…then it turned on you. Rose, I never intended for any harm to come to you! I would rather beg for death than see any harm to come to you."**_

_**The beast was now on his knees in front of the astounded girl. "Rose, please I beg of you…please forgive me." **_

_**Rose looked at Calostire for a silent moment. Every second a heart stopper for the beast. Then of all things, Rose smiled. She smiled a genuine smile and then hugged Calostire. **_

_**"Calostire, I knew something about you wasn't right. When I looked at you, your eyes were the most evil things I ever saw. That's what gave you away. They weren't the blue that I knew, they were a crimson red. There was something about you, even when I encountered you in the castle, that you had a spilt personality. It scared me. But I knew deep down that that anger wasn't you, it was just something you had to keep inside."**_

_**Rose stopped and looked lovingly at the beast before her.**_

_**She then stood up and walked up to Axel. "I'm so glad your okay! When we saw you come through the door, I thought for sure that you were going to…" Rose stopped again to wipe away her unshed tears.**_

_**Axel laughed and embraced the girl in a friendly and comforting embrace. "It'll take more that a few bullets to stop me from protecting you two. I mean come on! Who else could keep this big guy under control?" He nodded his head in Calostires direction with a sly grin on his face. Rose laughed, still in the red heads arms.**_

_**All of a sudden, Rose noticed the dead rose inside of its glass case. Its petals lying on the table, dry and pale. **_

_**"Calostire," She franticly looked at the beast beside her, "your rose, it's dead! What about the curse?" **_

_**The man/beast looked at Rose, his eyes held an untold sadness and confusion about them. "How do you know about the curse? I never told you."**_

_**Rose looked down at her feet, almost as if she were a young child again. "Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts told me." **_

_**A silence beheld them all, Rose still looking at her feet, Axel looking at the dead flower, and Calostire looking at Rose. "When…when I attacked you, and you said that you loved me…it was too late when I told you that I loved you in return. So when the Enchantress came, she gave me an offer." Calostire was still gazing at Rose, but she was no longer staring at her feet. When he told of how she expressed her love for him, she blushed. But when he told her of when he expressed it back and it was too late, she felt iciness inside of her. Something troubling was coming.**_

_**"She told me…that to bring you back; I would have to give up my humanity to have you back. That I would have to remain a monster so that you could come back to me."**_

_**Rose gasped, "Calostire! Y-you gave up becoming a human all because of me?"**_

_**Calostire laughed, it was still the deep and thundering laugh that would remain that way forever. "Rose, I would give up my life for you, let alone the chance to become human. I…I worried though, that if I remained a beast, that you would no longer care for me." His voice faltered.**_

_**A loud 'SMACK' rang throughout the room. Calostire face, once was holding a sad expression, now only held shock. Roses' hand was still raised from her hit upon the man.**_

_**"Calostire how many times do I have to tell you? I don't care if you look like a monster! You are still the man I met many months ago, the same caring, sweet, smart man that protected me from Gaston." Anger apparent on Roses face, Axel took a hesitant step back. Not wanting to feel the wrath of the young woman. But as her tone was starting to rise, he swiftly came beside her and hugged her from behind, trying to pin her arms to her side before she could slap his friend again.**_

_**"Rose," Axel said soothingly, "darling calm down. I know that he can be a bone head sometimes but he truly does care about you, and was only thinking of you at the moment."**_

_**The girl took a deep breath and her shoulders relaxed.**_

_**"There, now doesn't that feel much better? I mean come on; the guy just gave up his humanity for the only girl that could ever love him. That's gotta mean something."**_

_**All the tension in the room left, as the three stood in the middle of the room. Calostire, who noticed that Rose suddenly looked at Gaston, knew what she was going to say the second she saw him.**_

_**"Calostire, Axel, what are we going to do with Gaston? He can't stay here, and we can't just dump him in the woods."**_

_**"Well we could do that…" Axel mumbled, not forgetting all the bullets that were logged inside of him. Calostire laughed, and then seriousness crept up. Rose was right. As much as Calostire longed to kill the man, he couldn't. Not after what happened to Rose. He vowed that he would do whatever it takes to keep his anger under control.**_

_**"Well, we could take him to the village." The beast finally said. "We could take his body; put it somewhere where someone will find him." **_

_**Axel and Rose nodded; they were going to the village.**_


	40. Home

_**Chapter 40**_

_**Home**_

_**Snow covered the small village where Rose grew up. She almost didn't recognize it from being in the castle for many months. It was the middle of the night and the full moon made peaceful, serine look to the village. The snow that had blown over the small place left the town looking to be a completely new place. And as Rose looked around, she could spot nothing new about the town besides the fact that it was frozen. Even the fountain's water had stayed in its place, its water looking to be crystal. Rose didn't care about everything else; she just wanted to find her home. She looked up at the hilltop, almost missing it due to the snow making it look like a white mound. But as soon as she saw it she made a beeline straight for home.**_

_**"Rose!" Both men yelled.**_

_**The men were walking swiftly and silently behind Rose, letter her dwell on her thoughts while they silently talked. Axel, hoisting the lug, would ask Calostire constantly about what the village was like. The beast would repeatedly respond that he couldn't remember it that well because all he ever looked at was Rose. The villagers never concerned him. Axel then asked what they would say if anyone asked about him. Calostire, who had a giant cloak covering him, just laughed. But when the men saw Rose suddenly run off, Calostire took off after Rose, not wanting her out of his sight. Axel, who had the liberty of taking Gaston out of his friends hands to catch up with Rose, stayed behind.**_

_**The young woman was gasping by the time she reached her home. It still looked the same, the same sweet home that she grew up in as a child, and the same place where so many dreams were dreamt. **_

_**A light flickered in the small home, and tears sprung to Rose's eyes**_

_**"Father…" Rose ran up to the front door, not even bothering to knock, and ran inside. "Father? Father I'm home!" The girl yelled.**_

_**Maurice, the old inventor, saw a woman come running inside of his home, yelling for her 'father'. Surely the poor girl was in the wrong home. For a brief minute, the old man almost thought that it was his daughter Rose. **_

_**But no, Rose was gone. She had been gone for many months after running in the woods. There was no possible way for her to suddenly reappear at the doorstep.**_

_**The girl spotted him, and the mans heart almost stopped as hazel eyes and chocolate hair showed from underneath the girl cloak.**_

_**"Rose?!" The old inventor gasped, dropping his tools that he had been holding.**_

_**"Father? Father it's me! Rose!" Rose, who had been trying so hard not to cry, suddenly collapsed on the floor of the old cottage, tears streaming down her face. Maurice ran up to his daughter and hugged the poor girl so tight that air rushed out of her lungs.**_

_**"Rose! My god, it is you! Where have you been? Are you well? Wha—"The old man was cut off as a cloaked figure suddenly rushed inside of the home. The figure was tall, and was yelling for Rose.**_

_**"Rose why did you suddenly run —"The figure was cut off as well as he noticed Maurice hugging Rose. **_

_**Rose, suddenly feeling awkward, stood up and walked up to the hooded Calostire.**_

_**"Calostire, I would like you to meet my father, father Calostire." **_

_**Both men, not knowing what to say, merely nodded at each other, Calostires face still hidden due to the cloak.**_

_**"So, this is the famous Calostire? Are you the one who whisked away my young daughter, and kept her from me for so long?!" Maurice yelled, suddenly angry. **_

_**"F-father you don't understand!" Rose stumbled.**_

_**The old man stomped his foot, "Darn right I don't understand! Months, you know that Rose. Months we spent looking for you in those woods with Gaston. And now here you show up back at home, with this 'Calostire'." He turned to the cloaked figure, "You think your man enough to take my daughter without telling me!? You haven't even shown me your face yet. Well come on, lets see your face." Maurice went to grasp the cloak, hiding Calostires' face. **_

_**"No, don't!" Rose yelled.**_

_**But it was too late. The old man managed to grasp hold of the cloak and ripped it off of Calostires body. Everything revealed to everyone's sight.**_

_**"Oh my God!" Maurice said, stepping back, "Rose get back, he's a monster." The old man stood in front of Rose as if the beast was going to attack them at any second. Never before had the old man seen anything like it, and it confused him that his daughter, his beautiful daughter, had chosen a man that looked like this.**_

_**"Father, he's not a monster, he's Calostire. I know that he looks like one, but trust me papa, he's strong, caring, gentle, and has protected me from Gaston. He's the one. The man I love." Rose said, meaning every word.**_

_**"But, how can you love someone that looks like…" Maurice stopped. He knew that what he was about to say went against anything that he ever told his daughter. About how love was so strong, that it never mattered about looks, but all about how the people felt about each other.**_

_**Soon, Rose began to tell her father about how it all started. About when Lofu told Rose of the 'accident' and then how she went into the woods. From there, she explained everything that had happened for those several months. Everything the exact way she saw it. **_

_**Maurice was surprise when he heard about Gaston, and then understood that it was all a trick, a trick to get Rose to marry him. **_

_**"Whatever happened to that confounded man anyway?!" Maurice said, wanting to tear the hunter piece by piece.**_

_**"Don't worry Maurice, we took care of him." Calostire said. And at that exact moment Axel came through the door, carrying said hunter.**_

_**"DO YOU KNOW HOW BLOODY HEAVY THIS MAN IS?!" Axel dropped the unconscious man on the floor with a 'THUD'. "I swear, one moment we're all walking close to the village, when Rose goes taking off, and then Calostire, leaving me with the dead weight with nothing but snow to complain too, took off right after her." The red haired man huffed. **_

_**"So, what have I missed?" **_

_**Rose introduced Axel to her father and the men immediately got along when the old man showed the red head his inventions. It was great that they were all getting along, but as the night wore on, Maurice and Axel volunteered to take Gaston to the asylum for his treachery against him and his daughter. And while they were gone, Rose and Calostire were left to sit in front of the small fire that burned in the cottage. In a comfortable silence, Rose leaned against Calostire, like she did so long ago at the village fountain.**_

_**"Kind of reminds me of several months ago…" Rose said, no in particular, just talking to herself. Calostire looked at her, and saw the far away look in her eyes.**_

_**"Yes, except I'm in this form and—"Rose put a finger to his lips. **_

_**"Please don't start on how you look. I've told you a thousand times that I don't care what you look like. I love you all the same."**_

_**A great look of affection came across the man/beasts face as he stared at the young woman before him. Many months have passed with her staying by his side, and he never understood how she could deal with him. **_

_**Calostire pulled Rose in front of him and allowed her to lean back onto his chest as he started stroking her hair. "I love you too Rose."**_

_**When Maurice and Axel came back from the asylum, (not before stopping at the local pub and having a few pints) they found the two cuddled up before the fire. Calostire already asleep with Rose on his lap leaning against him with her sleeping as well.**_

_**"So, she truly fell in love with that Calostire did she?" Maurice asked Axel, still looking at the peaceful couple.**_

_**"Yep, she sure did." Axel replied.**_

_**"What I don't understand is how that man came to be that way? I mean I'm sure that he couldn't go around the village and be with Rose without causing attention. After all, she told me that she went, on several occasions with him, to the village and that they would be with each other all day."**_

_**"Well…I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you the story of what happened. But I can assure you that he wasn't always looking like that. In fact, Calostire and I knew each other when we were younger and both of us were called the cutest boys of France." Axel beamed with pride. They were indeed called the cutest boys of France by the age of seven.**_

_**Maurice chuckled. "Is that so?"**_

_**"Of course it is! Although, when Calostire was human, the ladies always called him the cuter one." Axel huffed.**_

_**As if hearing his name in the conversation, Calostire suddenly woke grasping Rose before she fell over from his sudden jerk. She looked as if she were about to wake up, but when Calostire started stroking her hair, she merely settled back down leaning on his chest.**_

_**"Oh, Maurice, Axel, you're back." He said groggily.**_

_**"Yea ya bone head, and we come back finding you two lovebirds asleep on the floor." Axel teased.**_

_**If Calostire could blush, he probably would've been doing so at being caught for being affectionate in front of others. But, then he thought about it, and he didn't care if they caught him holding Rose. After all she belonged to him.**_

_**"What is going to happen to Gaston?" Calostire asked, standing up with the still sleeping Rose in his arms.**_

_**"The caretakers at the asylum said that their going to take care of his wounds for now, seeing as every bone in both of his arms were completely destroyed. But after he's healed they're going to keep him there for false treachery against Rose and me. **_

_**"My goodness, the way that mans arms looked…it was as if a horse or a tree fell on them. I wonder how that happened." Maurice shook his head. He truly felt bad for the man, for when they dropped him off and the caretakers examined his arms, Gaston started yelling and screaming for all he was worth.**_

_**Calostire felt a tug in his chest as he heard the way Maurice sounded shocked and scared they way Gaston's arms were. And what made it worse, was that he used the very hands that he destroyed the man's arms, on poor Rose's neck.**_

_**He looked down at the angel in his arms and looked at the scars and bruises left from his grasp.**_

_**Stroking them softly with his claw, Calostire vowed that he would never again lay a single claw on Rose ever again. Never again would he allow such marks on her skin ever again.**_

_**Axel yawned. "I don't know about you guys, but I am completely ready to fall asleep standing up." **_

_**Maurice laughed and patted the red haired man on the back. "There's a bed in the next room that you can use if you wish. I myself am feeling quiet tired right now. Uh, Calostire I'm afraid our poor couch won't be able to hold you. Actually I'm afraid none of our furniture will be able to fit your size." The old man sincerely looked upset that he couldn't find a spot for the beast. "And normally Rose slept on the couch. Silly girl would fall asleep on it from reading." The man chuckled.**_

_**"That's alright. I would've let Rose have the couch anyway." **_

_**And with that Calostire went to place Rose onto the small piece of furniture when he felt her suddenly grasp his fur.**_

_**"No…" Rose mumbled. "I don't want to go away yet."**_

_**Calostire chuckled, "Rose my dear, your not going anywhere, just onto the couch."**_

_**"I know, but please…please just let me stay with you tonight please." Rose said, her voice pleading."**_

_**The beast look towards the girl's father for any objection, but he found Maurice already getting blankets and pillows for the two to settle on the ground. He thought that the man wouldn't want a man let alone a beast to be near his daughter at night, but it seemed that Maurice had trust in Calostire to allow him to sleep with his daughter in the same room.**_

_**"Alright then." Calostire said, gently laying Rose on the ground then settling next to her. As soon as he lay down, Rose scooted as close as she could to Calostire smiling at her small victory. Calostire put his arms around her and held her close as the two feel asleep while Axel's snores rained throughout the small home.**_


End file.
